Lightning's Secret
by CarsWorldFan
Summary: Set in 2007, a few months after Cars, Doc decides to try and track down Lightning's parents. What he uncovers will both separate and unite the McQueen family, and bring Doc's friendship with Lightning closer than ever. But is Lightning ready to move on from the memories of his painful childhood? And will he be ready for the first race of the season? WARNING: character death.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OC's belong to me. **

Chapter 1

Late one evening in Radiator Springs, Doc and Sherriff were quietly talking outside Doc's clinic, reminiscing on the old days, when they heard the distant growl of an approaching engine. Sherriff frowned.

"If that's them delinquent road hazards, I'll impound them for a month!" He revved his engine, preparing for a chase.

At that moment, someone screamed. Then Mater raced over the rise coming into town, screaming like a banshee.

"It's gonna git me! Help! Someone!" And with that, Mater raced all around the town as fast as he could.

Seconds later, Lightning McQueen also raced into the town. "Mater! Stop!" he shouted as he skidded to a stop outside Flo's café.

But Mater didn't hear him. Panicked, he drove blindly, heading straight for Lightning. Lightning stood his ground, but at the last second, he ducked out of the way, leaving poor Mater to crash into a large pile of oil cans and one of the supports holding up the café's roof. Mater remained still, with his eyes closed, gasping for air. By now, the whole town had come alive, and everyone had gathered around to watch the scene. Lightning cautiously approached his friend.

"Mater? I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd believe me like that. I thought you knew that Frank can't escape out of his paddock."

Mater groaned as he pulled himself upright. "Then how comes I heard dat there fence breaking?"

"It was just me. I ran over a piece of wood." Seeing that Mater was okay, Lightning started to laugh. "You should've seen your face when I told you that Frank had escaped! Oh, boy! That was priceless!"

Doc approached the group. "Okay everyone. Excitement's over. You can all go back to sleep." He turned to Mater and Lightning. "Except for you two," he growled.

Lightning looked sheepishly down at the ground. Doc waited until everyone else had gone before he continued.

"At least I now know why you're always so tired in the mornings, Lightning. And here I was thinking that you were coming down with something. Get back to bed. Now!" Doc turned to Mater. "And as for you, Mater. You're not to go tractor tipping with Lightning ever again without my permission, understood?"

"Yes, Doc," Mater whimpered.

"I won't have you two scampering off in the middle of the night. What if Lightning crashed? It could put him out for a whole season. You need to start taking better care of yourself, kid, if you want to have any chance of winning your first Piston Cup. Well, why are you still standing around here? Go! Now!"

Lightning obediently hurried over to his home behind the racing museum. Mater gulped, before heading over to the junkyard that was his home. Doc returned to Sherriff.

"I'm going to turn in too," he said.

"Honestly, Doc, I don't know what we'd do without you; especially when it comes to them two. I don't know who else could keep them in line."

Doc sighed. "They both respect me. That's why they listen to me. Goodnight."

"'Night."

Early the next morning, Doc watched on as Lightning put in his morning laps down at Willy's Butte. The young race car hadn't been able to stop yawning all morning. Doc shook his hood. Unless the kid woke up properly, he could crash.

"That's enough, kid," Doc finally said through Lightning's radio. "Go and get yourself something to eat."

Lightning stopped in front of Doc. "I'm really sorry about last night, Doc," he said. "I didn't know Mater was going to react the way he did."

"That's beside the point. It may be your off season from racing, but you've still got to adhere to my schedule if you want to win this season. As punishment, you're going to bed at nine tonight."

"But that's way too early!" Lightning protested.

"Not for a racer, it isn't," Doc growled, just as Lightning yawned again. "Look at you! You can barely keep your eyes open as it is. Now get going to Flo's. I'll meet you there."

Scowling, Lightning took off towards town. Doc let out a long sigh. Lightning was a good kid, but he seemed to enjoy being somewhat rebellious. He frowned as a thought struck him. He was old, and he knew he wouldn't be around for much longer. Who would take care of Lightning once he was gone? The kid needed guidance and a firm wheel. That made him wonder something else. What had happened to Lightning's parents? He'd never mentioned his family, and it made Doc wonder if he even had one.

With these thoughts in his mind, Doc returned to town. Lightning was with the rest of the Radiator Springs' residents having their breakfast at Flo's. Doc headed inside his home behind his clinic, and he switched on his computer. It was time for him to do some research into Lightning's past. He wondered why he'd never done it before.

His search for 'Lightning McQueen' brought up more than a hundred thousand references. The first website was Lightning's official page. While it wasn't managed by Lightning, Doc knew there was nothing about his past on it – certainly not before he became the face of Rust-Eze. Doc decided to narrow his search. He added the word 'childhood' into the search engine after Lightning's name. This search brought up only twenty references. Doc's eyes widened in surprise. For someone as famous as Lightning, it seemed strange that his childhood was almost non-existent. He clicked on the first link.

The link brought up a copy of a newspaper article. The title read 'Multi-Millionaire Murdered'. Doc was about to click out of it, when he noticed the word 'McQueen' in the first paragraph. He decided to read the article.

**Multi-Millionaire Murdered **

19 May, 1998

Late last night, residents in the Daimler Building in Manhattan were awakened by the sound of a single gunshot. When the emergency services arrived at the penthouse, they discovered the body of Mr Blaze McQueen on the lounge room floor, with his ten-year-old son nearby. It is not known if Master McQueen witnessed the murder, but he was immediately taken to hospital suffering deep shock. It has since emerged that Master McQueen had just returned home from hospital that same day after undergoing a minor operation.

Mr McQueen was a well-loved member of the community whose fortune is estimated at 53 million dollars. He made his fortune in the stock market and real estate. His wife, Elinor, was not home at the time of the murder, but security footage showed that she did not leave the Daimler building at all that evening, however it is unclear exactly where she was at the time of her husband's death. As of this morning, the police are questioning Mrs McQueen. The police have not yet released the names of any suspects, but they are treating Mr McQueen's death as a murder.

Doc back up a little after reading that article. "Whoa!" he whispered. "No wonder the kid never mentioned his parents. How terrible for him!"

Returning to the search results, Doc took a look at the rest, but they didn't tell him anything else. They were all about the murder, but only one of them mentioned Lightning by name, no doubt to try and shield him from the press. Just as he was about to give up, Doc stumbled across another newspaper article with the heading, 'McQueen Estate Heir Sues Uncle'.

Doc clicked on the article.

**McQueen Estate Heir Sues Uncle**

9 January, 2003

The fifteen-year-old son of Mr Blaze McQueen (deceased) and Mrs Elinor McQueen, has reportedly sued his uncle and guardian, Peter Piston, for embezzling the fortune left to him by his father when he was murdered by his wife five years ago.

Mrs McQueen was found guilty of murdering her husband after he was found dead from a single gunshot wound in their penthouse apartment. Mrs McQueen has always denied any involvement, but was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Master McQueen was placed in the care of his aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Piston until an incident two months ago, when Master McQueen discovered that his uncle had been embezzling his inheritance. Master McQueen has since been placed in the care of another aunt, Miss McQueen.

"The embezzling began five years ago, shortly after my client inherited his father's wealth and went to live with Mr and Mrs Piston," Master Lightning McQueen's attorney said to the press. "Mr Piston decided to start taking the money that had been placed in trust to him until Master McQueen's eighteenth birthday. I have been the McQueen family's attorney for almost twenty years, so naturally I was shocked by the events which took place once Master McQueen uncovered the embezzling. He is now safe in the care of another relative."

The case continues on Friday.

Doc shook his hood. "Unbelievable!" he muttered under his breath. "What a lot for him to have to go through!"

With a weary sigh, Doc left his office and he headed over to Flo's. "Sally?" he called.

The flashy Porsche turned to face him. "Yes, Doc?"

"Come into my office for a moment, please. I want to have a word with you in private." He saw Lightning start to follow Sally, so he gave him a cold glare. "Alone," he growled.

Lightning hesitated, before returning to his breakfast. Sally followed Doc inside his office.

"What is it, Doc?"

"I need you to put your lawyer's hat on for this one. Put all your personal emotions aside."

"Is this about Lightning?"

"Yes."

"Okay then."

"I want you to do a bit of digging and see if you can find out if you can track down any of Lightning's relations apart from his uncle, Peter Piston."

"Sure, but why?"

"I'm not going to be around forever, Sally, and I want to know that someone will be watching out for him after I'm gone."

"I can do that."

"I know, but he needs a father-figure in his life. Just for a few more years until he's fully mature. He still does silly things without thinking, and I'd hate to see him get hurt."

"He's more likely to get hurt on the racetrack."

"I know. But I just want someone else watching out for him, that's all. So, can you do it, please?"

"Sure, I suppose so. I take it you don't want Lightning to know about this?"

"Not yet. See if you can find either of his aunts, Miss McQueen or Mrs Piston, and his mother. She's in a prison somewhere."

Sally's eyes widened for a moment. "Okay then," she said, and she left the office.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 2

Two nights later, Lightning snuck down to Mater's junkyard. Feeling rather playful, he quietly hooked the sleeping tow-truck's hook around one of the poles of his little shack. Then, remaining behind Mater, he roared his engine loudly.

Startled out of his sleep, Mater screamed. "It's the banshee!" Then he floored it, only to be jerked to a stop by his tow hook. That frightened Mater even more until he heard giggling behind him. Turning, he scowled with annoyance when he saw Lightning and what he'd done.

"Darn you, Lightnin'!" Mater shouted furiously as he unhooked his tow hook. "You darn nearly gave me an engine attack! I'll git you fur that!"

And with that, Mater lunged at Lightning. But the race car was just too quick for him, and he ducked out of the way. Mater collided with a pile of junk, before turning on Lightning again. This time, Lightning wasn't quite fast enough in the confined space of the junkyard, and Mater slammed into him, hard. The two cars grunted as they fell against more scrap metal. Lightning yelped as something sharp punctured his side.

"Ouch! Okay, stop it, please, Mater!"

But Mater, not realising that Lightning was injured, didn't stop, and he rammed him again. Lightning groaned in agony as the shard of metal dug into him deeper.

After another shove, Mater finally backed off to catch his breath. "There now!" he panted. "Don't ya ever do that ta me again! Ya darn near frightened the livin' daylights outta me!" Mater paused, waiting for Lightning to say something in response. When he didn't, Mater aimed his headlight at Lightning. He gasped in shock.

Lightning was still leaning up against the pile of scrap metal, panting heavily with his eyes firmly closed. He groaned in agony.

"Lightnin'! Are you okay? Please, say somthin'! Anything!"

"Get Doc." Lightning's voice was barely audible, but Mater heard him. He hurried over to the clinic, knocking loudly on the door.

"Doc! Doc!" he shouted desperately.

After a moment, Doc answered the door. He looked like he was half-asleep. "What is it, Mater?" he asked gruffly.

"Ya gotta come! Lightning's hurt real bad!"

Doc was instantly awake. "Lead the way."

Mater led Doc down to his junkyard, and they hurried over to Lightning, who hadn't moved. Doc gently nudged him. Lightning groaned and he opened his eyes, blinking wildly.

"It's okay, kid," Doc assured him. "I'm here. Where does it hurt?"

"My side," Lightning whispered faintly.

"Move him out, Mater," Doc instructed. "And be careful."

Mater wrapped his hook around Lightning's rear axle, and he pulled him away from the scrap metal. Lightning moaned softly. The pain was excruciating! Doc shone his headlights on Lightning's side and he winced in sympathy when he saw the shard of metal sticking out of him.

"Get him over to the clinic quickly, Mater. He's bleeding badly."

Mater did as he was told. Doc frowned when he saw just how much oil Lightning had lost already.

Minutes later, Doc sent Mater out of the clinic. Then he turned his attention to Lightning, who looked very close to passing out. He knew it was important to keep Lightning talking to him.

"What happened?" he asked as he quickly and calmly undid the hood clips and lifted Lightning's hood. He placed a tube inside Lightning's oil intake and then he lowered the hood without closing it properly, so Lightning could see. Then he switched on a machine which immediately began slow-feeding oil into Lightning's engine.

Lightning drew in a painful breath. "It was my fault. I played a trick on Mater, and it backfired. I'm sorry."

Doc grunted as he turned his attention to Lightning's injured side. "The only one you need to say sorry to is yourself." Under his breath, he added, "Hot-rod."

"What did you just… OWWW!" Lightning yelped as Doc pulled the shard of metal out of his side. Then he whimpered pitifully. "That hurt!"

"Not half as much as this will…" Doc muttered.

Lightning gulped when he heard Doc switch on an oxy-torch. He gritted his teeth and braced himself for the searing pain that he knew was about to come. Sure enough, it did. Lightning yelped and flinched, until Doc's low growl reminded him to keep still. But Lightning couldn't and he revved his engine loudly.

"Stop!" he shouted, tears streaming from his eyes.

Doc raised his visor. "I'm done now anyway," he muttered as he put away the torch. Then he turned back to face Lightning. "It wasn't a big gash, but it was deep. You'll be badly bruised for a few days. Ramone can repaint that area tomorrow after I've sanded it. Now try to get some sleep."

"Uh… Doc?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I still need this drip?"

Doc softened a little. "You lost a lot of oil back there, kid. I'll remove it in the morning."

"Okay," Lightning whimpered.

"I'm going back to bed," Doc told him. "You're to stay here until I say you can leave."

"You're not leaving me here alone?" Lightning gasped.

"Certainly. Goodnight." And Doc switched off the lights.

Shortly after dawn the following morning, Doc entered his clinic. Lightning was where he'd left him, dozing quietly. Moving silently, Doc took a closer look at Lightning's welded side. He'd done a good job, despite Lightning moving during the process. Satisfied, he went around to Lightning's front, and he gently lifted the hood. Lightning's oil was almost full, so Doc switched off the machine, and he removed the drip. He closed Lightning's hood very softly, taking great care not to wake the sleeping race car.

A little later, Lightning woke up. Before he could move, Doc entered the room.

"Ah! You're awake at last."

"Am I okay? Can I go now?"

"Yes, and yes. But before you go, I'd like to show you something in my office."

"Umm… Okay…"

Lightning's side hurt as he moved, making him wince, but Doc didn't seem to care. He led the way inside his office.

"I found these yesterday. I was wondering if you'd ever seen them before…" Doc handed Lightning printouts of the two newspaper articles he'd found the day before. Lightning skimmed over the two articles, but then he looked closer at them. He paled.

"Where…where did you find these?"

"Online."

"But…"

"I was curious about your childhood, and I happened to stumble across them."

Tears filled Lightning's eyes and he started trembling furiously. "You had no right!"

"I had every right!" Doc growled. "Especially when it's online!"

Lightning gulped. He knew that what Doc said was true. "Isn't there some part of my life that I can keep private?"

Doc let out a long sigh. "I just want to know, kid, so I can understand you better."

Lightning also sighed. "Well…okay then. But I must have your word that this will never leave this office."

"Do you really need my word, kid?"

"I suppose not. I only asked to be sure."

Doc nodded slowly. Lightning took a deep breath as he began to recall the supressed memories of his painful childhood…


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 3

**1991**

Three-year-old Lightning McQueen pretended to play with the toys he'd been given, but he was really listening to the adults in the room talking about him. His parents had brought him to the strange, large building in New York City earlier that morning. The building smelt of medicine and cleaning products, making Lightning feel sick. Then a creepy white 1970s Range Rover had spent some time looking at Lightning's engine, while at the same time trying to keep the energetic youngster still. Lightning hadn't enjoyed being poked and prodded at by the stranger, and he protested loudly about it until his mother had held him still. Lightning loved his mother more than anyone else in the world. Now she and his father were talking to the creepy white Range Rover about him.

"Well, all of my tests are conclusive," the Range Rover said with an air of sadness. "I'm afraid Lightning is suffering from 'Jaguar Syndrome'.

"What is that, exactly?" Mrs Elinor McQueen asked. She sounded worried.

"He was built with an engine that is much too powerful for him to handle. That's why he gets tired so quickly. The rest of his body can't keep up with the amount of horsepower he has. And his attacks – bursts of speed – are because he doesn't yet know how to control his horsepower. He can't help it. He just loses complete control of himself until the attack wears off. Then he goes to sleep."

"Just how rare is Lightning's condition?" his father, Blaze McQueen, asked the specialist.

"Quite rare," the Range Rover replied. "Statistics show that it only occurs in about one in five hundred thousand cars. Lightning is the second car I've ever treated for 'Jaguar Syndrome', and only the third case I've ever come across. He will eventually grow out of it, but until then, we'll have to find a way to restrict his speed so he doesn't accidentally injure himself."

"Restrict his speed?" Mrs McQueen echoed. She glanced down at Lightning, who was pushing a toy car along with his wheel.

"Do whatever must be done," Mr McQueen said. "Lightning is our only child, so we only want the very best for him."

"Naturally. What I can do is install a speed limiter inside his engine. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about his over-revving, high RPMs or energy levels. That will have to be managed through special exercises and diet. Now, I can schedule Lightning's operation for next Monday at three pm."

"Operation?" Mrs McQueen gasped. Mr McQueen gently pressed his tyre against hers.

"It's the only way we can install the speed limiter," the specialist explained. "It will give him a maximum speed of eighty miles per hour, which is more than enough for a car of his age. It's certainly better than two-hundred miles per hour."

"I agree," Mr McQueen said, frowning. "When can the speed limiter be removed?"

"When Lightning turns ten. It'll have to be removed before he has his adolescent growth spurt."

The three adults looked down at Lightning. He looked up at them with his innocent sapphire-blue eyes.

"Can we go home, mummy?"

"Soon, Lightning."

"If you don't mind, may I ask why you named him Lightning?" the specialist asked.

"He was built during a lightning storm," Mr McQueen replied. "And with his speed, the name just fitted. Ironically, he's terrified of storms. But I'd just like to know how he got this 'Jaguar Syndrome' in the first place. I mean, my wife and I aren't exactly the fastest cars in the world."

It was true. Mr McQueen was a 1959 Mercedes-Benz W120 sedan, while Mrs McQueen was an elegant 1967 Mazda Cosmo. They were both sporty, but not super-fast, like Lightning. And like the rest of the McQueen family, their natural paint colour was dark-blue, whereas Lightning's natural colour was a brilliant shade of red.

"Is there anyone in your family who races?" the specialist asked.

"Not on my side," Mr McQueen said. He glanced at his wife.

"My uncle was a racer in the late sixties," Mrs McQueen replied. "He was killed on the racetrack. I was about Lightning's age when he died."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds like Lightning might have inherited something from him."

"I hope not!" Mrs McQueen exclaimed. "I want Lightning to be a business car like his father; not a race car! I couldn't bear to see him die on the racetrack the way my uncle did."

"I'm sure you'll be able to sway him in the right direction," the specialist said, smiling a little.

"Is the operation dangerous?" Mr McQueen asked.

"No more than any other operation. He's very healthy otherwise, so there's no reason why he wouldn't make a full recovery."

Lightning suddenly felt a wave of energy hit him and he started driving vary fast around the office, giggling excitedly at the thrill of going fast. Concerned, Mrs McQueen gently caught her son, and she flipped him over onto his roof. Lightning laughed hard as he continued spinning his wheels as fast as he could. After a few seconds, Lightning rolled back over onto his wheels and he accelerated without looking where he was going, smashing straight into a filling cabinet. The adults winced in sympathy. Mrs McQueen went over to Lightning as he burst into tears.

"It's okay, Lightning," she soothed. "Just settled down and we'll go home soon."

"Next Monday will be fine for the operation," Mr McQueen told the specialist.

"Okay. I'll make the arrangements, and I'll perform the operation myself. Make sure Lightning doesn't have anything to eat or drink from three o'clock the day before, otherwise he could throw up during the surgery."

"We understand," Mrs McQueen said quietly as she hugged Lightning tightly to stop him moving.

Five minutes later, the McQueens left the building, and they merged with the heavy traffic. Lightning tried hard to stay between his parents, but all he wanted to do was race on ahead.

"Well, at least we now know what's wrong with him," Mr McQueen sighed to his wife.

"Does he have to have the operation?" Mrs McQueen asked fearfully. "He's so young!"

"You saw what happened in the office. And what he's done at home. Grace is at her wits end trying to control him!"

"I just don't want anything to happen to him!"

"Then he must have this operation," Mr McQueen said firmly. "I'll take the day off work so we can both be there for him."

Mrs McQueen nodded. Just then, Lightning saw a little glider land nearby, and he took off after it.

"Lightning!" Mrs McQueen shouted. "Come back here at once!"

Lightning wasn't watching where he was going, and he almost ran into the back of a truck. Mrs McQueen caught up with him, and she pushed him over onto the shoulder of the road.

"Lightning, will you please just listen to me? You could've been hit! Now, just stay beside me until we get home, okay?"

"Yes, mummy," Lightning said meekly. "I'm sorry."

"Come on."

Before long, the McQueens entered the luxurious Manhattan apartment building, where they lived. It was called the Daimler building. Lightning loved the magnificent circular lobby with its enormous chandelier hanging from the roof, and gold leaf covering every doorway.

"Good evening, Mr and Mrs McQueen," the concierge near the lift said. He looked down at Lightning. "Master Lightning. Did you get up to any mischief today?"

"No!" Lightning retorted firmly. Then he grinned. "Nanny said she'd give me a sweetie if I was good today, so I was."

"That's good."

The McQueens entered the lift. Then the concierge inserted a key inside the lift, unlocking the penthouse button. Mr McQueen pressed it, and the concierge quickly got out of the way before the doors closed.

Lighting loved watching the lights inside the lift change as they went up to the penthouse on the fifty-eighth floor of the building. When the lift doors opened, Lightning dashed out of the lift. But he didn't get too far. His nanny, Gracie Tyre, a forklift, caught him in her arms.

"Whoa there, you little hurricane!" she exclaimed as Lighting squealed and laughed in her arms. Gracie looked at Lightning's parents. "How did the appointment with Dr Spark go?"

"We'll tell you later," Mrs McQueen sighed. "Is dinner ready?"

"Just about, ma'am," the butler said. His name was Mr Hood, and he was a forklift too. Lighting was a little bit afraid of him because he always looked so serious.

"Great! I'm starving." Mrs McQueen looked down at Lightning. "Are you hungry?"

Lightning nodded eagerly.

"Go and wash up then." She turned to the butler. "Tell chef we'll eat in ten minutes."

"Very good, ma'am."

Ten minutes later, Gracie led Lightning inside the enormous dining room. His parents were already waiting for him. Mr McQueen had the TV on, watching the news.

"…And it was a good day on the stock market today, with Dinoco Oil and the McQueen Estate both gaining twenty percent by the time Wall Street closed trading for the day…"

"Honey, switch the TV off, please," Mrs McQueen said as Lightning took his place beside her. Mr McQueen begrudgingly obeyed.

"Why don't we watch TV during dinner, mummy?" Lightning asked.

"Because it's rude and a big distraction. Dinner is for talking and eating, not for TV. You can watch it afterwards."

Mr Hood brought out the dinner, placing the cans of oil and fuel carefully on the table. Gracie excused herself, going into the kitchen for her own meal. Lightning glanced out of the large windows surrounding them on two sides. The New York City skyline looked amazing in the evening orange sunlight. He sighed tiredly.

"Lightning?" Mrs McQueen said gently. "It's time to eat."

Reluctantly, Lightning took a sip of his fuel. He smiled a little. Chef had made his favourite flavour.

"Have you chosen your hubcaps for the governor's ball on Saturday night?" Mr McQueen asked his wife.

"Yes. I can't wait to meet him. I only know his wife."

"Can I come to the ball too?" Lightning asked eagerly.

"Sorry, Lightning," Mr McQueen said. "It's for adults only."

"Not fair! You're taking mummy!"

"That's because she is an adult. You're only a child and you need an early night. Especially since you're so sick."

"I'm not sick!" Lightning protested.

"That's enough, Lightning," Mrs McQueen frowned. "Finish your dinner, then you can go and play."

"No fun playing on my own," Lightning pouted.

"You've got a Ninten-go," Mr McQueen said. "That's more than what most kids have. Now, do as you're told."

Still pouting, Lightning continued sipping on his fuel. After a few minutes though, he began to feel drowsy. His parents' talking soon lulled him to sleep.

Sometime later, Lightning felt someone gently picking him up. It could only be Gracie. Mr Hood wouldn't have been so gentle. Lightning moaned sleepily as he snuggled closer to her. A moment later, he felt her place him down inside his cot. Gracie started to leave the room, but Mrs McQueen entered. She went over to Lightning and gently stroked his roof with her wheel.

"Goodnight my little sweetie," she said, kissing him on the hood. Then she went over to Gracie. "Lightning has to have an operation next Monday," she whispered.

Gracie drew in a sharp breath. "It's not that serious, is it?"

"I'm afraid so. Dr Spark diagnosed him with 'Jaguar Syndrome'."

"What is that? I've never heard of it."

"His engine is much too powerful for him to handle right now. Dr Spark is going to install a speed limiter in Lightning's engine, which will stay until Lightning turns ten. He also has to have a special diet."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Poor Lightning."

"Yes. Let's go and talk about it more in the lounge. I don't want Lightning to wake up and hear this."

"I doubt he'd understand what we're saying."

"He's smart. I think he does understand."

Gracie switched off the light, and she closed the bedroom door. Lightning stirred a little. He didn't like being in the dark. Fortunately, Gracie had left the curtains open tonight, allowing the city lights to flood into the bedroom.

Scrambling out of his cot, Lightning went over to the floor-to-ceiling window. He looked down at the city below, letting out a small sigh. He had a good life. His parents were very wealthy, and he had everything a kid could want. But the one thing he was missing was friends his own age. He was surrounded by adults, but none of his parent's friends had any children. They were all wealthy business cars and they all put their careers ahead of having a family. He didn't know it then, but the only reason his parents had decided to have him built was so that his father would have someone to leave his business and fortune to one day. Lightning had been built to be an heir, and that was all. Sure, his parents loved him, but more as a protégé than as a son.

Hearing someone approaching in the hallway, Lightning quickly jumped back into his cot. Whoever it was drove past his door and the hallway fell silent again. Lightning closed his eyes and he tried to go to sleep.

Several hours later, a loud sound woke Lightning. Standing up straight on his tyres, he looked around. Rain was pelting against the window. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed a few seconds later by a loud clap of thunder. Lightning gasped loudly.

Another clap of thunder sounded, quite close by. Bursting into tears, Lightning leapt out of his cot and he hurried over to the bedroom door. Pushing it open, he dashed into the hallway. It was completely dark until a flash of lightning lit up the whole apartment. Crying, Lightning dashed down the hallway to his parents' bedroom. Pushing the door open, he raced into the bedroom and flung himself onto the large bed between his parents.

"Oh! What!" Mr McQueen groaned sleepily. "What is it?"

Mrs McQueen rose up on her tyres. "It's Lightning," she yawned. She gently nudged him. "Lightning? Come one, sweetie. What's wrong?"

"I'm scared," Lightning whimpered. "Can't sleep."

Mrs McQueen sighed. "Well, you can't stay here. Come along now. I'll take you back to bed."

"No! I want to stay here with you!"

"Go, Lightning!" Mr McQueen growled. "Now!"

"Don't shout at him, Blaze! He's still only a baby. Come on, Lightning."

Reluctantly, Lightning sniffled back his tears, and he obediently followed his mother back down the hallway to his own room. He climbed back inside his cot, and Mrs McQueen gently tucked a blanket around him.

"Goodnight, Lightning. Stay here, okay?"

"Yes, mummy," Lightning whispered.

Mrs McQueen left, closing the door behind her. Lightning tried to settle down to sleep, but he was too upset. The storm was still raging outside. Whimpering, Lightning pulled the blanket tighter over himself.

"Lightning? Come on now. Wake up."

Lightning groaned sleepily and he blinked open his eyes. Gracie gently pulled the blanket off him. It was morning and the sunlight was blazing into the room. Lightning yawned.

"Morning, Gracie."

"Morning. I hear you were a bit scared during the storm last night."

Lightning whimpered softly.

"Come on now," Gracie said as she extended her arms. "It's time to get up."

Lightning scrambled into Gracie's arms, and she lifted him out of the cot.

"What are we going to do today, Gracie?" Lightning asked.

"Well, after breakfast, I thought we could go for a drive to Central Park. And then your mother wants me to take you shopping for some new tyres and a respray."

"Do I have to go shopping?" Lightning whined.

"Yes, you do," Gracie told him firmly. "Now, your breakfast is on the table. Drink it, and then we'll go for our drive."

"Are mummy and daddy still here?"

"No. You're father's gone to work, and you're mother is meeting some friends of hers. She's bringing them back here for lunch, so remember to be on your very best behaviour."

Lightning thoroughly enjoyed his time in Central Park. It was the one place where he could frolic and race around to his heart's content, so long as he stayed within Gracie's sight. She watched him out of the corner of her eye while she read a novel. Lightning loved racing around on the lawn, spinning doughnuts and tearing up the grass. He also loved rolling down the gentle slope near the playground. Sometimes some of the other children tried to play with Lightning, but he was much too quick for them and their games, which made it hard to include him.

When Lightning showed signs of tiring, Gracie went over to him. "Let's go shopping now," she suggested. "Who knows? If you're good, I might even buy you a new toy."

Lightning squealed excitedly and he went happily with Gracie. They went to a very exclusive store, where Gracie got Lightning a new set of tyres, and he had his respray. Lightning didn't enjoy the respray much. It tickled, and so he couldn't help wiggling around. The painter was used to young cars though, so he managed to do a neat job. Afterwards, Lightning was delighted with his glittery red paint. It was a nice change after plain red. And as promised, Gracie took him to the toy department, where Lightning chose a large plush racing car as his reward for being good.

Finally, just before lunch, Gracie and Lightning returned to the penthouse. Mrs McQueen was already there with her twenty-odd friends. She smiled when she saw Lightning and Gracie emerge from the lift. She beckoned for Lightning to join her. He did.

"Everyone! This is my son, Lightning."

"Hello, Lightning," the ladies said more or less in unison.

"Hi," he replied shyly.

"Why don't you go and get something to eat?" Mrs McQueen suggested to Lightning.

"Okay," Lightning grinned. He accelerated over to the coffee table, much too fast.

"Lightning!" Mrs McQueen exclaimed as Lightning skidded on the marble, leaving black tyre marks from his new tyres. "Slow down!"

But it was too late. Lightning slammed sideways into the TV cabinet.

"Ouch!" he gasped.

Mrs McQueen hurried over to him. "Oh, Lightning! How many times do I have to tell you not to race inside the house?"

"I'm sorry, mummy."

Lightning snuggled up beside his mother. He was feeling really tired now. He decided to close his eyes just for a moment…

"Lightning? Come on, sleepyhead. Wake up."

Lightning groaned sleepily. He moved closer to his mother, pressing himself against her. A moment later, Gracie gently picked Lightning up and she carried him to his room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 4

By Sunday morning, Lightning had become very nervous. He knew he was about to go into hospital for an operation, but he couldn't quite understand what it was for. Everyone fussed about him a bit more than usual. For breakfast, the chef made him his favourite blend of fuel, and he received a huge lunch, since he wouldn't be able to eat anything until after the operation. Gracie was very kind to him, and she let him play any game he wanted to play.

At three o'clock, Lightning had his last, big drink of oil and a bit more fuel. Gracie then took him for a drive to Central Park. But instead of playing, Lightning stayed beside Gracie as they drove leisurely around the park.

"I'm going to the hospital tomorrow, aren't I?" he asked.

"Yes, you are."

"Is it because I'm sick?"

"Yes."

"But I don't feel sick."

"You get tired all the time, don't you?"

Lightning frowned thoughtfully. "Yes. Does that mean I'm sick?"

"I'm afraid it does. Don't worry. You'll be well looked after."

Lightning hugged Gracie. "I'm scared. Will the operation hurt?"

"Maybe a bit. But I know you can be brave."

"How do you know?"

"You're a McQueen. All McQueens are very brave, and I know you can be too."

"I don't feel very brave."

"I know. It can be scary having an operation. But the doctors know what they're doing and they'll take very good care of you."

"What are they going to do to me?"

Gracie hesitated. Mrs McQueen had asked her not to tell Lightning everything, so she had to be careful about her answers. "They just need to fix something inside your engine."

"Oh. Is that's what's making me so tired all the time?"

"Yes. And speaking of which, it's time to head on home. You've got a very big day tomorrow, and you'll need plenty of sleep tonight."

"Can I have a drink when we get home?"

"I'm sorry, but no, you can't. If you do, you could be very sick during the surgery."

"Oh. Okay then."

"Just drive slowly so you don't get too thirsty."

Reluctantly, Lightning stayed beside Gracie all the way back to the apartment. He felt exhausted by the time they exited the lift. His parents were already home, and they were watching the afternoon news. Gracie steered Lightning over to them.

"I'm putting Lightning to bed now," Gracie announced.

Lightning hugged his parents' goodnight. "I'm really scared about tomorrow, mummy," he whispered as he hugged her.

"Don't be. We'll be right there with you. Promise."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Mr and Mrs McQueen echoed in unison.

Lightning headed to his room with Gracie right behind him. She drew the block-out curtains closed and switched on the light. Meanwhile, Lightning crawled into his cot, hugging his new toy. He yawned sleepily. Gracie gently covered him with his blanket.

"Goodnight, Lightning."

"Goodnight," Lightning yawned. Gracie switched off the light and she closed the door. Lightning settled down under his blanket. He was really, really tired.

"Lightning? Come on. Wake up. It's morning. You've got a big day ahead of you. We need to be at the hospital by nine o'clock."

Lightning peeked out from beneath his blanket. "Don't wanna go!" he whispered.

"Come on. Your parents are waiting for you." And Gracie lifted Lightning out of his cot, along with his blanket and soft toy. Lightning screamed.

"No! Let me go!"

Gracie ignored him, and she carried him out into the penthouse's foyer, where Mr and Mrs McQueen were waiting to leave. Lightning screamed again. Gracie set him down on the floor, but Lightning was still tangled up in the blanket.

"He doesn't want to go," Gracie explained.

Mrs McQueen sighed. "You'd better carry him. I'll take his blanket and toy. Now, we really must go or we'll be late."

Before Lightning could react again, Gracie scooped him up, almost winding him. Mrs McQueen gathered up Lightning's blanket and toy, and they all entered the lift.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the hospital. Lightning was sobbing with fear, but he no longer struggled in Gracie's arms. Mr McQueen informed the receptionist of their arrival. Minutes later, a nurse, who was a forklift, came to show them upstairs to Lightning's private hospital room.

"Hello, Mr and Mrs McQueen," she greeted them. "I'm Nurse White, but you can call me Annie."

"Pleasure to meet you, Annie," Mrs McQueen smiled. She turned to Gracie. "This is Lightning's nanny, Gracie Tyre. And this…" she paused as Lightning wriggled in Gracie's arms. "…This is our son, Lightning."

Annie moved closer to Lightning, who was still crying, and she gently stroked his roof. "There, there, Lightning. It's okay. You don't need to cry. I've got a little surprise waiting for you upstairs."

She moved back a little as Lightning turned to look at her. He sniffled back his tears.

"There, now," Annie smiled. She turned to Mr and Mrs McQueen. "Please, follow me. We've arranged a very special room for Lightning."

A few minutes later, the nurse led the way into a large, colourful room.

"Oh, wow!" Mrs McQueen exclaimed. "Lightning, look!"

Lightning cautiously looked around the room. Sure enough, the room was very nicely decorated. Rainbows, teddy bears and cars were painted on the walls, and a large bunch of balloons was tied to the back of the cot. Inside the cot was a large teddy bear with a smart red tie, and a red blanket. Annie smiled down at Lightning.

"I hope you like it. Your father said you like red."

Lightning nodded slightly. Then he reached towards the teddy bear. Gracie gently placed Lightning down inside the cot. He immediately snuggled up against the teddy bear.

"I think he likes it," Mrs McQueen smiled, turning to Annie. "Thank you for everything."

"My pleasure. We try to make the whole hospital experience as comfortable and as enjoyable as possible for the children. We find they tend to recover faster and have fewer complications if they're not stressed."

"Understandably," Mr McQueen mused. Then, louder, he said, "So, what's the schedule for Lightning today?"

"We'll let him get settled for about an hour, and then I'll help you give him a shower. After he's been washed, Dr Spark will come and see him. Then I'll come back and prep him for the operation."

"That sounds fine," Mr McQueen nodded.

Annie left the room, closing the door after her. Lightning scrambled out of his cot, but Gracie quickly caught him.

"Uh, uh, Lightning! You're to stay in the cot for now."

"No! I want to see out!"

Reluctantly, Gracie took Lightning over to the large window. He placed his tyres on the ledge and peered out. In the street below, cars were driving to and fro.

"Where's home?" Lightning asked.

Gracie looked around at the skyline. Then she pointed to one of the tallest buildings on the far left. "There it is."

Lightning leaned forwards a bit further to see. "Oh, yeah! It's high, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

Lightning looked around the room again. His eyes settled on the TV. He pointed towards it with his tyre, silently asking Gracie if he could watch it. Mr McQueen switched it on for him, and he found a channel showing children's programs. Lightning crawled down onto the floor to watch. He became so engrossed in the show, that he didn't even notice when Annie returned. That is, until she switched off the TV.

"Hey!" Lightning exclaimed.

"It's time for your shower," Annie told him cheerfully.

"No! I want TV!"

"It's a bubble shower," Annie smiled. "Come along now."

Lightning pouted, but he went with Annie and Gracie into the adjoining bathroom. Gracie held Lightning still while Annie turned on the shower. Jets of water sprayed at Lightning from all directions, making him squeal and wriggle. Then Annie turned on the bubbles. Lightning loved the bubbles, and he tried to chase them and catch them with his tyres.

Finally, Annie turned off the shower. Gracie lifted Lightning out of the shower, and she started drying him off with a towel.

"There now," she smiled. "You're all nice and clean."

"I'm hungry," Lightning told her. "Can I have some lunch?"

"Sorry, Lightning, but you can't have anything to eat until later tonight."

Lightning pouted again. Gracie picked him up, and she carried him back to his cot. Lightning tried to get out, but Gracie stopped him. Annie was at the small bench preparing something.

"I'm just going to give him some morphine," she explained to Gracie and Mr and Mrs McQueen. "It'll help settle him down and make it easier to anesthetise him later. It won't hurt him." She held up a large syringe and tapped it to remove the air bubbles.

Gracie held Lightning still while Mrs McQueen managed to distract Lightning with a large balloon. Moving quickly, Annie administered the morphine inside Lightning's fuel tank. He didn't even notice what she was doing.

"There we go," Annie said as she removed the now-empty syringe. "He's an easy one. Most children hate doctors and nurses poking things into their fuel tank."

"I think Lightning enjoys the attention," Mrs McQueen smiled.

Lightning giggled as Gracie let go of him. He pounced on one of the balloons, making it burst. Lightning gasped with fright, but then he laughed.

"More! More!" he shouted. He made a lunge for the other balloons, but in his enthusiasm, he accelerated much too fast and he collided with the back of the cot. Before anyone could react, Lightning had climbed out of the cot, and he was racing around the small room. He only managed to stop when he collided head-on with the closed door. Gracie quickly placed him back inside the cot.

"Is he hurt?" Mrs McQueen asked with concern.

Annie quickly checked him over. "He's fine. That's the good thing about cars his age. They don't crumple on impact – they just bounce. It's because his metal skin hasn't hardened yet. It will once he's mature."

Sure enough, Lightning didn't seem to mind his collision with the door. He just continued happily playing with the balloons. He tried to burst them again, but Mrs McQueen wouldn't let him.

Finally, Dr Spark arrived. He smiled when he saw Lightning laughing and batting the balloons around with his tyres.

"Hello Mr and Mrs McQueen. How's Lightning settling in?"

"Rather well, I think," Mr McQueen replied.

Dr Spark turned his attention to Annie. "Have you prepped him?"

"He's had a shower and I've administered the morphine," she replied.

"Good…good… I'll just do some checks, and then I'll go downstairs to get the theatre ready." Dr Spark went over to Lightning, who was now spinning doughnuts inside his cot. "Lightning?" he called gently. Lightning looked up at him, but he didn't, or couldn't, stop. Dr Spark sighed.

"Is he having an attack?" Annie asked. She'd never seen a car with 'Jaguar Syndrome' before.

"Yes," Dr Spark replied. "The only thing we can do is wait for him to tire himself out, and hope he doesn't injure himself first."

"He's already had one attack today," Mrs McQueen said, frowning with concern.

Dr Spark looked a little alarmed. "That's bad. It means his condition is getting worse. Thank goodness we're doing the operation today!"

At that moment, Lightning stopped spinning doughnuts, and he rolled over onto his side, exhausted and gasping for air. Mrs McQueen sniffled. She hated seeing her little son suffering.

Dr Spark lowered the side of the cot, and he pressed the end of his stethoscope against Lightning's side. He didn't need to tell Lightning to breathe deeply. He already was. After a moment, Dr Spark handed the stethoscope to Annie.

"Well, his lungs sound great. We'll have to wait until he's calmed down before we get his breathing rate and RPMs." He glanced at Annie. "Can you get that in about an hour?"

"Sure. I also need to weigh him for the anaesthetist."

Dr Spark nodded. With a low groan, Lightning rolled back over onto his wheels. He whimpered softly.

"I feel sick, mummy," he said, before bursting into tears. Mrs McQueen hugged him gently.

"Shh… I know, sweetie. You'll feel much better soon. I promise." And she kissed him softly on his roof. Lightning snuggled up to her. Within minutes, he'd fallen asleep.

About an hour later, Gracie gently woke Lightning. When he stirred, Gracie picked him up in her arms, and she carried him out of the room and down the hallway. Mr and Mrs McQueen followed them. They entered a small examination room, where Annie was waiting for them. Gracie gently placed Lightning down on a set of scales. He yawned softly. Annie wrote down Lighting's weight on a chart.

"Can you put him on the table, please?" Annie asked.

Gracie lifted Lightning off the scales, and she set him down on the examination table. Lightning glanced around the room anxiously. He didn't like the look of all the medical equipment. Annie stuck a sensor with wires attached to it on top of Lightning's hood. He looked at it curiously, but as it didn't seem to be doing anything, he relaxed. A machine beeped softly nearby. After a moment, Annie carefully removed the sensor. She then pressed the end of a stethoscope against Lightning's side. Knowing what Annie wanted, Gracie distracted Lightning by playing peek-a-boo with him.

"That's excellent, thank you, Gracie," Annie said once she was finished. She tickled Lightning's side, making him giggle. He rolled over onto his side, still laughing. Annie looked at Mr and Mrs McQueen. "You can take Lightning back to his room now. I'll send this down to Dr Spark, and I'll come back to his room at two-thirty."

Gracie picked Lightning up, and she carried him back to his hospital room. Mr and Mrs McQueen headed downstairs to have some lunch in the hospital's café.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 5

At two-thirty, Annie returned to Lightning's room. He was hiding under his blankets.

"It's time to go down to the operating theatre," Annie announced.

Lightning whimpered fearfully. Gracie tried to pull the blankets off him, but he held onto them tightly.

"Come on, Lightning," Gracie said firmly. "That's enough."

"Just let him bring the blankets with him," Annie suggested. "We'll leave them with him until he goes to sleep."

With a reluctant sigh, Gracie picked Lightning up, blankets and all, and she carried him out of the room behind Annie.

Mr and Mrs McQueen met them downstairs outside the operating theatre. Lightning was sobbing with fear. Mrs McQueen gently kissed Lightning on the cheek.

"Shh, sweetie. You'll be okay. I promise."

Mr McQueen also kissed Lightning on the cheek. "Be brave, son. You'll be fine."

Annie carefully took Lightning from Gracie. "It's time," she said. She entered the operating theatre carrying Lightning. Dr Spark, an anaesthetist and two other surgeons were inside the operating theatre, preparing their equipment. Lightning burst into tears again as Annie placed him down on the operating table.

"Come now, Lightning," Dr Spark soothed. "We're not going to hurt you."

"He's just frightened," Annie said.

"I want mummy!" Lightning cried.

"Bring Mrs McQueen in here then." Dr Spark sighed.

Annie fetched Mrs McQueen. As soon as he saw her, Lightning settled down, and he sniffled back his tears.

"Calm down, Lightning," Mrs McQueen said. "I'll stay right here with you until you go to sleep."

"But I'm not tired."

"You will be soon. And when you wake up, your father and I will be right there with you."

The anaesthetist came over to Lightning. "Hello, Lightning. I'm going to put you into a nice, deep sleep now, so you won't feel anything. And when you wake up, it'll all be over."

Lightning whimpered again. The anaesthetist moved to Lightning's side and he picked up a nozzle from a machine quite close to the operating table. He gently placed the nozzle inside Lightning's tank.

"Okay, Lightning. Can you count backwards from ten for me, please?"

"No," Lightning whispered.

"He hasn't learned that yet," Mrs McQueen explained. "He can count up to five though."

"That's fine. Can you count up to five, for me please, Lightning?"

"Okay."

The anaesthetist switched on the machine. It began pumping anaesthetic fuel into Lightning's tank.

"One…two…three…four…" And Lightning fell fast asleep.

"Lightning? Wake up, little one."

Lightning stirred at the sound of the nurse's voice, and he whimpered softly, but then the darkness surged again.

"Lightning? Can you hear me, sweetie?"

Lightning moaned. "Mummy?" he muttered. He slowly blinked open his eyes. His mother was standing right in front of him. Lightning glanced around, trying hard to focus in the bright light. He was back inside the cot in his hospital room, covered snuggly in his blankets. He yawned sleepily. Then he noticed that he had a tube fastened securely inside his fuel tank. The other end was connected to a slow-feeding machine that dripped the fuel inside his tank.

"How are you feeling, darling?" Mrs McQueen asked.

"Tired. Can I go back to sleep, please?"

"Not yet," Annie said. "You need to have a drink first."

"I thought I wasn't allowed to," Lightning replied, confused.

"You can now," Annie assured him. She gently pressed a straw to his lips. "Come on now. Take a sip."

Lightning obeyed. The oil tasted deliciously sweet, so he gulped down a mouthful of it. That made his tank churn. He whimpered until Gracie, guessing what was wrong, gently patted him on his rear end. Lightning burped. Feeling better, he continued drinking. After a few minutes, he'd drained the can.

"I'm hungry," he announced.

Annie gave him a small can of fuel, which he also drained. Then Lighting settled down to sleep, snuggling up against his soft toys.

Hours later, Lightning woke up again. It was night time, and his hospital room was pitch black, except for the dim moonlight filtering into the room from around the curtains. The moonlight made the colourful paintings on the wall look very strange and frightening.

"Mummy?" Lightning called. When she didn't answer, Lightning burst into tears. Then he began screaming wildly.

After a moment, someone entered the room. It was a nurse. She switched on the night light.

"Easy there, young one," she soothed. Reaching into the cot, she picked him up and hugged him. "There, there…" Not knowing Lightning's name, she glanced down at his chart. "…Lightning. Did something scare you?"

Lightning didn't answer her. Her name was Sarah, and she was one of the night nurses. She'd been fast to respond to Lightning's cries because each room had a monitoring camera inside to keep an eye on each child during the night.

Once Lightning had quietened down, Sarah placed him back inside his cot. After she'd replenished the fuel inside the drip machine, she switched on a tape player. It began playing the sound of Mrs McQueen's idling engine. It had been recorded while Lightning had been undergoing his operation. Then Sarah left the room, leaving the dim night light switched on. Hearing the comforting, recorded sound of his mother nearby, Lightning settled down to sleep again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 6

It was daylight when Lightning next awoke. He was relieved to see that his parents and Gracie were back.

"Mummy?"

"Hello sweetie," Mrs McQueen smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay. Can I go home?"

"Not yet," Gracie replied. "Dr Spark wants to see you first. He should be here any minute."

Sure enough, a moment later, Dr Spark entered the room, followed closely by Annie.

"Right, Lightning…" Dr Spark said as he picked up Lightning's chart. He spent a moment studying it. Then he looked down at Lightning. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Fine."

"Do you feel any pain anywhere?"

Lightning shook his hood. "My engine feels a bit stiff though."

"That's normal. Do you feel like racing around?"

"Not now."

"Good, good." He turned to Annie. "I see he ate and drank yesterday evening, but not this morning."

"He's only just awakened," Gracie explained.

Dr Spark looked at Lightning again. "Are you hungry?"

Lightning nodded eagerly. Annie placed a can of fuel in front of him and he started gulping it down.

"Slow down, Lightning!" Gracie exclaimed. "You'll make yourself sick." Pouting, lightning obeyed.

Dr Spark watched Lightning finish his breakfast. Then he turned to Mr and Mrs McQueen. "I'm happy to discharge Lightning now. Bring him back to see me in a week, and let me know at once if he has any attacks."

"We will," Mr McQueen agreed. "And thank you for taking care of him."

"My pleasure," Dr Spark smiled. He gently patted Lighting on his roof. "You stay out of trouble, you hear?"

Lightning nodded solemnly. Smiling, Dr Spark handed Lightning a lollipop. He brightened as soon as he saw it.

"You've been very good and very brave, Lightning," Dr Spark said as he handed it over.

"What do you say, Lightning?" Mrs McQueen prompted.

"Thank you." And Lightning placed the lollipop inside his mouth.

"Good boy. I'll see you in a week." He looked up at Mr and Mrs McQueen. "I'll let reception know that Lighting's being discharged." And Dr Spark left the room.

Annie switched off the drip machine. She then reached for the nozzle inside Lightning's tank and she gently removed it. Lightning flinched, but it didn't hurt him.

"There you go, Lightning," she soothed. She turned to Mr and Mrs McQueen. "I'll escort you down to reception."

Gracie lifted Lightning into her arms. Mr and Mrs McQueen gathered up Lightning's blankets and toys, and they left the hospital room.

About an hour later, Mr and Mrs McQueen arrived home at their penthouse with Gracie and Lightning. As the lift doors opened, Lightning heard a large number of cars cheering. Gracie turned him around and set him down on the floor. Lightning was astonished to see his extended family and close family friends gathered in the penthouse foyer.

"Welcome home, Lightning!" everyone cheered.

Surprised and stunned, Lightning glanced up at his parents, unsure of how to react. At his mother's reassuring nod, Lightning grinned.

"Thanks!" he beamed.

Everyone moved into the lounge room. Lightning was delighted to see that the room was decorated in his favourite colour – red. There were balloons and streamers and a huge banner over the mantelpiece saying, 'Welcome Home, Lightning!'

Lightning froze, unsure of what to do first. Mrs McQueen gently nudged him.

"Why don't you go and get something to eat?" she suggested. "There are plenty of cupcakes for you."

Lightning hesitated. He was worried he might lose control of himself again. Mrs McQueen gave him another nudge, and he accelerated. He went at a steady, controlled pace over to the table and selected the top-most cupcake. He cautiously took a bite, glancing over at Gracie. She nodded approvingly.

Lightning's uncle, Peter Piston, came over to him. "Hello there, little Lightning. Remember me?"

Lightning nodded slowly. He didn't really like his uncle, but he wasn't sure why. There was something about him which made Lightning feel uncomfortable. Ducking around Uncle Peter, Lightning started making his way over to his mother. But then his auntie, May McQueen, got in his way.

"Lightning!" she exclaimed, throwing her tyres around him in an embracing hug. Lightning squirmed, gasping for air. "I'm so glad you're okay! We were all so worried about you!"

Mr McQueen went over to his sister. "Please be careful with Lightning, May," he said. "Aside from the fact that he's my only child, he is still recovering from a serious operation."

Reluctantly, Aunt May set Lightning down. He gasped for a moment before scampering over to his mother. He pressed himself against her side, using her as a shield.

"Can I go to my room please, mummy? I'm tired."

Mrs McQueen looked down at him, a little concerned when he said he was tired, but remembering how long a day he'd already had, she nodded. Lightning kissed her on the cheek before going down the hallway to his bedroom. It was just as he'd left it, except Gracie had arranged his new teddy bear and blankets inside his cot. Yawning, Lightning crawled into his cot, and he pulled the blankets over himself.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**Three years later - 1994**

The crowd roared and cheered loudly as The King, Strip Weathers, tore around the racetrack leading the field of racers. Inside the VIP stand, six-year-old Lightning McQueen watched the race with his father. It had been Lightning's birthday wish to attend a Piston Cup race, and his father had gone all-out to give Lightning the best experience possible. He'd hired out a VIP box, and he'd arranged for Lightning to be given a tour of pit lane and have a meet-and-greet with The King before the race. Lightning had loved every second so far, and he hadn't moved away from the glass window since the race began.

Mrs McQueen had been very upset when Lightning had decided he loved the Piston Cup the year before. He'd stumbled across the Piston Cup while browsing the TV channels one evening before his parents got home. Now, he'd fully embraced it, and he was a huge fan of The King.

The race ended with The King winning by a clear margin. Grinning, Lightning turned to his father.

"That was awesome, dad! Thank you!"

"You're quite welcome, son. I'm glad you've enjoyed yourself."

Lightning's expression changed. "Dad? I have a question."

"Yes, Lightning?"

"How come I can only go up to eighty miles per hour, when my speedometer goes up to two hundred?"

Mr McQueen hesitated. "Do you remember the operation you had three years ago?"

"A bit."

"Well, you were built with a condition called 'Jaguar Syndrome'. The operation was to correct it."

"What is 'Jaguar Syndrome'?"

"Your engine is too powerful for you to handle, so a specialist doctor installed a speed limiter inside your engine. It was for your own good, because we didn't want you to get hurt."

"Oh. Will I always have it?"

"No. It'll be removed in a few more years."

"Oh, goody! Will I be able to go at two hundred miles an hour then?"

Mr McQueen frowned. "Maybe. But Lightning. There's a time and a place for speeds like that."

"I know that, dad, but I'd love to be able to go that fast! How fast do you think The King can go?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe that fast."

"Can we go and ask him? Please?"

"Not now. It's time to go home. Do you have everything?"

"Yes. Do we have to go now, dad? I want to stay for a bit longer."

"Sorry, but we need to go now if we don't want to get stuck in a traffic jam."

Reluctantly, Lightning followed his father out of the VIP box.

It took Mr McQueen and Lightning over an hour to return home. Lightning was really tired by then as it was well past his usual bedtime. Mrs McQueen was waiting for them when they arrived.

"Lightning, I want you to go straight to bed, please," she told him firmly.

"Yes, mum," Lightning gulped. He could sense the tension in the air, so he didn't want to hang around. Gracie was waiting for him when he entered his room.

"Did you have a good time?" she asked as she tucked the blankets around him.

"Yes," Lightning yawned. "The King won."

"That's good. Goodnight."

Gracie left the room, switching off the light. A moment later, Lightning heard raised voices in the hallway. It was his parents.

"You know I don't want Lightning involved in racing! So why do you encourage him by taking him to races?"

"It was one race, and I don't-."

"You do! At least, you encourage him by not discouraging him!"

"He loves it! How can I stop him from enjoying something he enjoys more than anything else?"

"You could give him something else to love! Teach him soccer or some other sport if you must, but get his mind off racing!"

"Why don't you do that, since you're the one who is so against racing?"

"Because you're his father! He listens to you!"

"And you're his mother! What makes you think he listens to me more than you?"

"He's our only child! I don't want him to get hurt!"

"What do you have against racing? Lightning's not exactly going to start racing in the Piston Cup next week, is he? And who's to say he'd even want to be a race car?"

"I just don't want to see him wrecked in pieces on the racetrack the way my poor uncle was! I couldn't bear it if anything happened to him! If I had my way, that speed limiter would be left inside him for the rest of his life!"

Lightning burst into tears. What his parents were saying upset him almost as much as the fact that they were fighting. Hearing Lightning crying, Mr and Mrs McQueen immediately stopped arguing, and they hurried into his room. Mrs McQueen threw her tyres around Lightning.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to upset you."

"You scared me," Lightning whispered, choking back a sob.

"Oh, son," Mr McQueen said. "Sometimes adults fight, but we still love each other. And you."

"Exactly," Mrs McQueen agreed. "Now, settle down and go to sleep. Goodnight."

"'Night mum. Goodnight dad."

"Goodnight Lightning," Mr McQueen said, patting Lightning on his roof. He left the room with Mrs McQueen and Lightning settled back down to sleep.

A few weeks later, it was time for Lightning's very first day of school. He felt both nervous and excited as he followed his mother and Gracie into the school grounds. It was a very exclusive school for children from wealthy families, and it had all the latest technology, including computers. Taking a deep breath, he followed his mother and Gracie inside the classroom. About fifteen other young cars were already there, saying goodbye to their mothers and nannies. Most of the mothers were in tears. Lightning hoped his mother wouldn't start crying. It would be very embarrassing. Unfortunately, his wish didn't come true.

Mrs McQueen embraced Lightning in a tight hug. "I can't believe my baby is really growing up!" she sniffled.

"Mum! Stop it, please! You're embarrassing me!" He pulled away from her embrace and shook himself off.

"Sorry, sweetie. But it seems like only yesterday that your father and I were going to the factory to have you built."

Lightning nearly gagged. Fortunately, at that moment his new teacher, Miss Corvette, caught everyone's attention.

"Mothers and nannies! I'm afraid it's time for you all to leave. I can assure you that your precious child, or children as the case may be," she added, glancing over at a set of triplets, "will be perfectly safe and ready for you to collect at three o'clock."

The mothers bade a final farewell to their children, and they left. Miss Corvette called all the children over to the centre of the classroom, and they settled down in front of her.

"Now, as you all know, my name is Miss Corvette. I've been teaching for more than ten years, so I know all the little tricks you children like to play on unsuspecting adults. But now it's time for me to get to know each of you. When I call your name, I want you to come out the front and tell the class your name, age, how many brothers and sisters you have, and what you want to be when you grow up."

Lightning liked the sound of that. He waited impatiently for his name to be called. Most of the other young cars had dreams of becoming police cars, ninja cars or even spy cars, which all sounded very boring to Lightning. Finally, Miss Corvette called his surname. He went boldly to the front of the class.

"My name is Lightning McQueen. I'm six years old, and I don't have any brothers or sisters. And when I grow up, I want to race in the Piston Cup."

One of Lightning's classmates sniggered until Miss Corvette glared sternly at him. "Nobody's dreams are funny. If Lightning wishes to be a race car, there's no reason why he can't be. Thank you, Lightning. You may return to your place now. Next is Pacer."

Lightning returned to his spot. The boy who'd laughed leaned over.

"You? A race car?" he whispered with a snigger. "You're a sports car, not a racer!"

"And what makes you such an expert?" Lightning snapped back.

"My uncle races in formula one. What's your top speed?"

"Two hundred."

"Yeah right! I'll bet I can beat you easily."

"You're on!"

"Boys!" Miss Corvette said sharply, interrupting them. "No talking while somebody else is."

Lightning and the other boy sheepishly stared down at the floor. Then the other boy leaned over again.

"We race at lunchtime."

By the time the lunch bell rang, every student in the class knew about the race. They gathered around the school's racetrack to watch as Lightning and his classmate, whose name was Darren, lined up at the start/finish line.

"We'll do three laps," Darren decided.

"Fine," Lightning agreed. "We'll go when the clock up there ticks over to noon."

Darren agreed. Just over a minute later, the clock struck noon. Lightning and Darren took off, tearing up the racetrack. Lightning's acceleration was much better than Darren's, but before he'd even completed a lap, his speed limiter kicked in, cutting off his top speed at eighty. Lightning's engine revved higher and higher as he tried to go faster, but he was maxed out. Darren overtook him easily, and the race was over.

"Two hundred miles per hour?" Darren taunted afterwards. "Yeah, right! You may as well have been driving backwards!"

Lightning scowled furiously. "Oh, I'll beat you one day, Darren. You'll see."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 8

**Two Years Later - 1996**

"Go Lightning! Come on, Lighting! You can do it!" Gracie and Mrs McQueen screamed from the sidelines of the school racetrack as the children came racing down the homestretch. Lightning was leading his classmates, but not by much. It was obvious that Lightning was pushing his engine to the maximum his speed limiter would allow.

As he approached the finish line, Lightning began grinning. He was sure he'd won. But then, just metres from the finish line, another car shot past him to win. It was Darren.

"No!" Lightning exclaimed as he crossed the finish line in second place. He skidded to a stop, gasping for air. His engine hurt badly, but he tried very hard not to show that he was in pain. His teacher handed him a second place ribbon.

Lightning was close to tears as he made his way over to his mother and Gracie. Mrs McQueen hugged him tightly.

"Don't be upset, sweetie. Second place is fantastic! I'm so happy for you."

Lightning pulled himself out of his mother's embrace. "It's not fantastic, mum! I could've won if it hadn't been for my stupid speed limiter!" Lightning winced as a sharp pain shot through his engine. Mrs McQueen frowned with concern.

"Lightning? Are you okay?"

"Yes, mum, I'm fine!" Lightning snapped. "Let's go home."

Mrs McQueen and Gracie reluctantly followed Lightning out of the school grounds.

Later that evening, Lightning entered the dining room for dinner. His father was the only one there, and he was reading a finance newspaper. Lightning took his place at the table just as Mr Hood entered the room, carrying a couple of cocktails. He set one down in front of Mr McQueen, and the other in Mrs McQueen's place. Then he left the room.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Lightning?"

"Why won't you and mum let me drink cocktails?"

Mr McQueen folded up his newspaper. "It's because you're too young. Cocktails are for adults; not children."

Lightning pouted just as Mrs McQueen entered the dining room. "Are you still upset about your result today, Lightning?"

"How'd he go?" Mr McQueen asked without giving Lightning the chance to answer.

"He came second in the five mile sprint," Mrs McQueen replied.

"Well, that's brilliant!"

"I could've won," Lightning muttered.

Mr Hood returned with their meals. Lightning took a sip of his fuel, and the pain in his engine instantly returned. He gasped softly and turned away from the table.

"Lightning?" Mrs McQueen said with concern.

"I'm really tired, mum. Can I be excused?"

His parents exchanged anxious glances. Then Mrs McQueen nodded. "Sure. I'll send Gracie to check on you in a few minutes."

As Lightning left the dining room, he heard his mother's voice again.

"Hood?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Please ask Gracie to stay with Lightning. And phone Dr Wheel. Tell him Lightning's not well."

"Yes, ma'am."

"What makes you think that Lightning's unwell?" Mr McQueen wondered.

"A mother's intuition," Mrs McQueen replied.

Sighing, Lightning headed to his room. Dr Wheel was the McQueen family doctor. It had been awhile since Lightning had seen him. He was worried now. His engine really hurt and the pain wouldn't go away. He climbed into his bed and promptly fell asleep.

"Wake up, Lightning," Mrs McQueen said.

Groaning sleepily, Lightning opened his eyes and yawned. Dr Wheel was standing beside his mother.

"Hello, young Lightning," he said. "It's been awhile. Your mother tells me that you're not feeling well."

"My engine really hurts," Lightning admitted.

"I see. Do you mind if I take a look?"

Lightning answered by shaking his hood. Dr Wheel opened Lightning's hood, and he began poking and prodding around at his engine for a moment, before turning to Mrs McQueen.

"What did he get up to today?"

"He raced at his school athletic carnival," she replied.

Dr Wheel frowned thoughtfully. "Lightning? When did the pain start? Was it after you raced?"

"Yes."

"Did you push your engine hard?"

"Yes. And I still didn't win."

Dr Wheel pushed Lightning's hood closed. "We'll let you sleep now." He turned to Mrs McQueen. "We'll talk in the lounge."

Dr Wheel and Mrs McQueen left Lightning's room. He waited a moment before following them. He hid behind a large vase so he could eavesdrop. Mr McQueen was already in the lounge.

"What's the verdict, doctor?" Mr McQueen asked.

"I'm afraid Lightning has somehow managed to displace his speed limiter. It's not a serious issue in itself, but it's not one I can correct. It'll have to be done soon though, or it could break and cause a lot of damage."

"What about the pain he's in?" Mrs McQueen asked.

"It's just the displacement causing that. Did Dr Spark ever tell him not to push himself too hard?"

"No."

Dr Wheel nodded slowly. "Well, he should've. Because Lightning's growing up quite rapidly now, he needs to be careful. It can take cars with 'Jaguar Syndrome' years to fully adjust to their condition. I must strongly advise you to ban him from racing until he's older."

"How old?"

"At least fifteen or even sixteen. Just remember, his engine won't be fully mature until he's eighteen, and you don't want to risk him permanently damaging it before then."

"Thank you, doctor," Mr McQueen said.

"I'll take him to see Dr Spark in the morning," Mrs McQueen added.

Lighting silently headed back to his room.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 9

The next morning, Lightning timidly followed his mother inside the hospital. She took him to a part of the huge complex where the doctors had their offices. Upon entering Dr Spark's office. Mrs McQueen went over to the receptionist.

"I made an appointment for Lightning at nine-thirty," she said.

"Yes, of course, Mrs McQueen," the receptionist smiled. "Please, take a seat. Dr Spark won't be long."

Mrs McQueen joined some of the other mothers who were waiting for Dr Spark to see their children. Lightning joined the other children in the middle of the floor where some toys were.

"What's wrong with you?" a dark green hatchback asked Lightning.

"I have Jaguar Syndrome," he replied.

"Never heard of it. I'm allergic to fuel."

Lightning raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How do you eat?"

"I can't. I was converted to LPG when I was a baby."

"Oh."

"What is Jaguar Syndrome?"

"My engine is too powerful for me to handle."

"Can it be cured?"

"Dr Spark says I'll grow out of it. Eventually."

"Oh."

At that moment, Dr Spark entered the waiting room and he went over to the receptionist. She handed him a file.

"Lightning McQueen?" Dr Spark said.

"Come on, Lightning," Mrs McQueen said, ushering Lightning away from the toys. They entered Dr Spark's office.

"Mrs McQueen," Dr Spark smiled. "Lightning. How are you feeling today?"

"A bit tired," Lightning replied.

"He raced at his school sports carnival yesterday," Mrs McQueen explained. "Dr Wheel said he pushed his engine too hard, and he managed to displace his speed limiter. He was in a lot of pain last night."

"I see," Dr Spark frowned. "Come closer, Lightning, and I'll take a look."

Lightning hesitated before going over to Dr Spark. He slowly lifted his hood, and Dr Spark began examining Lightning's engine and the speed limiter.

"Yes, the speed limiter has been displaced," he finally said, looking at Mrs McQueen, "I can correct it now, but it will hurt, so I'll have a nurse come and administer a local anaesthetic to him."

Lightning gulped and he closed his eyes tightly. Dr Spark spoke to someone on the phone for a moment. Then he turned his attention back to Lighting, and he closed Lighting's hood.

"You can play with the toys for a moment until the nurse arrives."

Lightning hesitated, but then he made a dive for the toy basket. He landed on the edge, tipping the basket upside down and spilling the toys everywhere! Dr Spark and Mrs McQueen laughed.

"I guess someone's excited," Dr Spark chuckled.

Lightning found a ball, and he kicked it across the room. It went under a bench, and Lightning went after it, squeezing himself under the bench too. At that moment, a nurse entered the room.

"Yes, Dr Spark?"

"I just need you to administer a local anaesthetic to young Lightning."

"Of course. Err… Where is he?"

"Come on out, Lightning," Mrs McQueen called.

"No!" Lightning whimpered.

Shaking her hood, Mrs McQueen reached under the bench, and she dragged Lightning out. Lightning kicked his tyres wildly until Mrs McQueen placed him on top of the hydraulic lift.

"Settle down, Lightning!" she scolded.

Lightning pouted. Dr Spark held Lightning still, while the nurse lifted his hood. Lightning whimpered and trembled while the nurse prepared the anaesthetic.

"It's okay, Lightning," Dr Spark soothed. "This isn't going to hurt."

"I'm just going to put a few drops of anaesthetic inside your engine," the nurse explained.

Lightning closed his eyes tightly. The nurse placed the drops inside Lightning's engine.

"There you go," she said. "Your engine will start to feel numb in a few minutes."

Sure enough, it did. The nurse left, and Dr Spark began to adjust Lightning's speed limiter. It didn't hurt, but Lightning quickly became restless. Mrs McQueen had to hold to him still.

Before long, the procedure was over. As soon as Mrs McQueen released Lightning, he took off and hid underneath the bench again. Dr Spark sighed.

"I'm glad to see he still has heaps of energy."

"I'm just delighted that his Jaguar Syndrome is well and truly under control now," Mrs McQueen smiled.

"How's his appetite?"

"Not bad. Some nights he won't eat all his dinner, but it think that's fairly normal for a child of his age."

"Very much so. Is he sleeping well?"

"Yes. He goes to bed at eight o'clock sharp, and we wake him up at seven o'clock for school each weekday morning. On weekends, we let him sleep-in until nine o'clock if he needs it."

"So, he's getting at least eleven hours sleep each night."

"Is that okay?"

"It's perfectly adequate for a child his age. How's he going at school?"

"Quite well. He's excelling in sports; especially soccer and athletics. He also does well in science and English. His father and I wish he could improve in maths and road safety though."

"We can't all be good at everything. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Lightning is very healthy and happy. And mischievous…" Dr Spark added as Lightning kicked the ball out from beneath the bench. It rolled over to Dr Spark. He placed his wheel on top of the ball to stop it rolling.

"It's time to go now, Lightning," Mrs McQueen said. She looked at Dr Spark. "Thank you for your help."

"Not at all. I enjoy caring for Lightning. I'm just glad to see him doing so well."

"Will he be okay to drive home?"

"Yes. But don't let him go faster than fifty miles an hour for a day, and he's not to race at his top speed for at least a month."

"But I love racing!" Lightning protested.

"Just take it easy for a while," Dr Spark cautioned. "Otherwise, you could damage your speed limiter, or your engine, and if you damage your engine now, you'll never be able to race when you're older, unless you have an engine replacement, which is a very serious operation."

"I don't want Lightning to race. Ever," Mrs McQueen said firmly. "Please, don't encourage him, Dr Spark."

"Very well, Mrs McQueen. I won't. I'll see Lightning again for a check-up in about six months."  
Mrs McQueen nodded. "Thank you. Come on, Lightning."

Lightning followed his mother out of the office. He paused in the doorway and, turning, he cast Dr Spark a small smile. Then he scampered after Mrs McQueen.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 10

A few weeks later, Lightning arrived back home with Gracie after she'd collected him from school. He went straight into the lounge and put on the TV. After a moment, Mrs McQueen entered the lounge.

"Are you still taking the night off?" Mrs McQueen asked Gracie.

"I am, if you don't mind."

"I don't. It's just, Blaze is taking me out to dinner tonight, so there'll be no one to look after Lightning, except for Mr Hood."

"I'm sure Lightning will be fine. He knows how to shower on his own now, and Mr Hood can ensure he goes to bed on time."

"Fine. Lightning?"

"Yes, mum?"

Mrs McQueen went over to Lightning. "Make sure you do your homework before dinner."

"We didn't get any homework tonight, mum. It's Friday."

"Oh yes. That's fine then. Your father and I are going out tonight, and Gracie's taking the night off, so Hood will be in charge. Make sure you listen to him and obey him and get to bed on time."

"Can I eat my dinner in here, please?"

"I suppose so. Just be careful not to spill anything on the carpet. Now, where did I put those gold hubcaps…?"

Grinning, Lightning turned his attention back to the TV. There was a funny cartoon on.

A little later, Gracie left. Then Mr McQueen arrived home and, within minutes, he and Mrs McQueen also left. Lightning switched off the TV and he headed into the kitchen. The chef was busy making some rum balls for Mrs McQueen's dinner party that was scheduled for the following afternoon, and Mr Hood was busy polishing the silverware.

"I thought you were watching cartoons?" Mr Hood said to Lightning.

"They finished. Can I have my dinner now, please?"

The phone rang then, and Mr Hood went to answer it. The chef washed his forklift arms, and then he went into the pantry to get Lightning's dinner. Lightning eyed the unopened bottle of rum on the kitchen bench. Remembering how his father had told him that cocktails were only for adults, Lightning snatched the bottle. He thought his father was just trying to keep something good all to himself.

Lightning took the bottle to his room, and he stashed it behind the curtain. He then hurried back to the kitchen. He arrived just as the chef returned with his dinner.

"Here you go, Master Lightning," the chef said, placing it on the bench.

"Thank you." Lightning pulled the can of fuel closer and he began drinking it through the straw.

The chef looked around on the bench. "Did you happen to see a bottle of rum around here? I'm sure I left one on the bench…"

Lightning kept drinking. Sighing, the chef went to get another bottle.

After Lightning had finished his dinner, he went to his room and closed the door. Taking the bottle of rum out from behind the curtain, he opened it and he placed a straw inside it. Then he took a sip. It was strong, but Lightning found the taste quite nice. Before he knew it, he'd drunk the whole bottle.

About an hour later, Mr Hood went to find Lightning to get him ready for bed. He found Lightning lying on the floor of his room, groaning miserably.

"Master Lightning? Are you okay?"

"No…" Lightning moaned. "I feel awful…" He retched, and then he hurried out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom, where he threw up. When he looked up, he saw Mr Hood standing in the hallway, holding the empty bottle of rum.

"Where did you get this?" Mr Hood demanded.

Lightning couldn't answer, because he threw up again. Once he'd finished, he looked pitifully at Mr Hood.

"I can't…see… Everysing's…spinning…" And then Lightning passed out.

When Lightning came around, he could hear a lot of cars talking all around him. He kept his eyes tightly closed, and he tried to concentrate on each individual voice.

"Well, I've done the best I can," Dr Wheel said. "I syphoned his fuel tank and oil sump. I'll administer the medication now."

Lightning shivered as he felt a cold liquid run into his tank.

"How long will it be until he sobers up?" Mrs McQueen asked anxiously.

"It all depends. He's not to eat or drink anything for at least twenty-four hours."

"I just want to know how it happened," Mr McQueen said sternly. "Mr Hood?"

"It seems that Master Lightning took the bottle from the kitchen without Chef's knowledge. I should've kept a better eye on him… I'm sorry I let you down, sir."

"It's not your fault," Mr McQueen told him kindly.

"I'll stay with him tonight," Gracie offered.

"That'll probably be best," Dr Wheel said. "I'll come back tomorrow morning and see how he is. Remember – nothing to eat or drink for twenty-four hours. That'll give the medication time to work."

Lightning moaned, and then he drifted off to sleep.

It was midday when Lightning next awoke. Gracie was near him, quietly reading a book. She closed it when she saw that Lightning was awake.

"How are you feeling, Lightning?"

"Terrible."

"I'm not surprised! Drinking a whole bottle of rum! What were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to see what it was like," Lightning replied. Tears tumbled down his hood.

"Well, now you know. Alcohol is not for children."

Lightning let out a long, tired sigh. "How long will I feel like this?"

"We're not sure. Dr Wheel has already been to see you this morning. He'll be back later this afternoon to see how you are."

"Am I in serious trouble?"

"Yes, but not with me."

"Oh."

Later that evening, Dr Wheel returned. Mr and Mrs McQueen joined him while he examined Lightning.

"Are you still feeling dizzy, young Lightning?"

"No."

"Any nausea?"

Lightning looked at Dr Wheel blankly, not quite understanding.

"Do you still feel like throwing up?"

"No."

"Are you feeling hungry?"

"A bit."

Dr Wheel turned to Mr and Mrs McQueen. "I think he'll be okay now. Just keep a very close eye on him."

"We will," Mrs McQueen promised. "Would you like a drink before you go?"

"No thanks."

"I'll show you out then."

Mrs McQueen and Dr Wheel left the room. Mr McQueen frowned sternly at Lightning.

"What have you got to say for yourself, son?"

"I'm really sorry, dad. I didn't know it would make me sick."

"Son… When I tell you not to do something, it is because it is for your own good. And it's because I love you and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Lightning burst into tears. Mr McQueen softened, and he embraced Lightning.

"It's okay, son. I'm not going to punish you further. I think you've had more than enough punishment being sick."

"Yes, dad. I'm hungry. Can I have something to eat now?"

"Not yet. In another hour you can. Then it'll have been twenty-four hours since you became drunk."

More tears fell from Lightning's eyes. His father hugged him again.

"It's okay, Lightning. I think you've learned your lesson."

"Yes dad. I have. I love you, dad."

"I love you too, son."


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 11

**Two Years Later - 1998**

Lightning was very excited. He was going to see Dr Spark that afternoon for some tests to see if his speed limiter could finally be removed. But first, he had to get through a rather dull morning at school. He was supposed to be working on some maths problems, but he couldn't concentrate.

A shadow fell over Lightning. Looking up, he saw his teacher, Miss Chevy, standing beside him.

"You've only done one problem in the space of half an hour, Lightning, and that answer is incorrect. I might have to talk to your parents about you undertaking some extra tuition at home."

Lightning let out a long sigh. Just then, the phone rang. Miss Chevy went to answer it. After speaking for a few seconds, she hung up the phone.

"Lightning? Pack up your books. Your mother is waiting for you at the administration office."

Lightning slammed his books closed and he shoved them inside his desk. Then he hurried out of the classroom, almost knocking over a globe on his way out.

"Slow down, Lightning!" Miss Chevy called after.

Lightning found his mother waiting for him in the waiting room. He hurried over to her.

"Can we go now, mum? Please?"

"You're not usually this excited about a doctor's appointment," Mrs McQueen replied as they left the building.

"I know. But I'm really hoping he'll say I can have the speed limiter removed at last."

"Please, don't get your hopes up, sweetie. Now stay beside me. Don't rush on ahead."

Lightning reluctantly slowed down, and he kept pace beside his mother.

Half an hour later, Lightning and Mrs McQueen arrived at the hospital. Knowing where to go, Lightning rushed on ahead down the hallway. He stopped outside Dr Spark's office and turned to face his mother. She opened the door and they both entered the waiting room. Lightning immediately made a dive for the toys. There were only two other families in the waiting room, and both of the patients were babies, so Lightning had the toys all to himself.

After about half an hour, it was finally time for Lightning to see Dr Spark. Although he was very excited, he was also very nervous because he was worried that Dr Spark might decide not to remove his speed limiter yet.

"How have you been, Lightning?" Dr Spark asked.

"Not bad. My school soccer team won our district final last week."

"Really? What position do you play?"

"Forward. I scored three goals."

"Congratulations. Right, let's start this examination. Can you open your hood for me, please?"

Lightning did so, and Dr Spark began his examination. Lightning tried to stand patiently, but he soon became quite restless. Dr Spark finally gave him a chance to rest. Lightning closed his hood and he shook it vigorously.

"Can I have the speed limiter removed, please?" Lightning begged.

Dr Spark frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not sure… You're very excitable at the moment…"

"I'm not normally," Lightning whispered as he tried to settle down.

Dr Spark turned to Mrs McQueen. "Does he still try to go fast?"

"Not lately. He's been very good about that."

Dr Spark looked at Lightning again. "You have grown since I last saw you, six months ago…"

"Please!" Lightning begged. "You said I could have it removed when I turned ten. I'm ten and a half now. I've tried to be patient, but…"

"I know, Lightning, I know. I'm just concerned that you'll speed and damage your engine before it's fully mature."

"I won't speed, and I won't race," Lightning promised. "I did some research, and I can't start racing in the Piston Cup preliminary race circuit until I turn seventeen. I know how fast I can go, so I don't need to prove it until I get onto the racetrack."

"Lightning, stop!" Mrs McQueen exclaimed. She turned Lightning around to face her. "I never want to hear another word about racing ever again! Do you understand?"

Lightning started at his mother in shock and surprise. In fact, he even felt a bit afraid of her for the first time in his life.

Before Lighting could find his voice, Dr Spark intervened. He cleared his throat. "Mrs McQueen. May I have a private talk with Lightning?"

"But I…"

"Just for a few minutes," he insisted, and he ushered Mrs McQueen over to the door. "Feel free to have a drink while you wait."

Once Mrs McQueen had left the room, Dr Spark closed the door and he turned to face Lightning. Lightning gulped nervously. Dr Spark went back over to his desk.

"Come over here please, Lightning."

Lightning obeyed. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so. You see, your mother is very much against racing as a career. She doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't-."

"You can't say you won't get hurt. Racing is a very dangerous sport. You could be killed…like your great-uncle was."

"My great-uncle was a racer?" Lightning asked, astonished.

Dr Spark typed something into the search engine on his computer. He turned the screen towards Lightning. It showed a black and white photo of a crushed and badly injured race car.

"That's your great-uncle," Dr Spark said solemnly. "That photo was taken just after he crashed in nineteen sixty-nine. He died about an hour later."

Lightning stared at the photo, shocked. After a moment, he found his voice. "But not all racers die on the track. Many go on until they're too old to continue racing."

Dr Spark brought up another photo on the screen. "This is the Hudson Hornet after his nineteen fifty-four wreck. Crashes can happen to any racer, whether they're a rookie or a champion like the Hudson Hornet."

"They can also happen to any car on the road," Lightning shot back defiantly. "I can't see how racing can be any more dangerous than driving down the street."

Dr Spark sighed and he shook his hood. "Lightning… I think… Oh, I don't know what to think." There was silence for a moment, but then Dr Spark spoke again. "I don't want to discourage you from your dreams, Lightning, but you need to seriously consider your mother's feelings in this. She worries about you because she loves you more than you'll ever realise. As you said, you won't be able to start racing until you're at least seventeen, so perhaps you could not talk about racing to your mother. If you really want something, you will do everything you can to achieve it, won't you?"

Lightning nodded slowly. "I love racing more than anything except my family."

"It's in your system to be a racer. Nearly every car who's ever had Jaguar Syndrome has become a racer." He leaned in closer. "But don't tell your mother that!" he whispered, and he winked.

Lightning smiled. "Okay. I won't talk about racing anymore."

"Good boy. Let's get your mother back in here now." Dr Spark went over to the door, and he opened it. "You may come back in now, Mrs McQueen." He waited until Mrs McQueen was in the room again before he continued. "Thank you for your patience, Mrs McQueen," he said as he closed the door. "I have decided to remove Lightning's speed limiter. I can perform the surgery on Friday-."

"Surgery?" Lightning gasped. "I didn't know I'd have to have another operation!"

"Well, how do you think I was going to remove the speed limiter?" Dr Spark asked.

Lightning shrugged. "I don't know," he sighed. "Do I have to have an operation?"

"I'm afraid so. I'll schedule your operation for nine o'clock on Friday morning, which means that you'll have to stay at the hospital on Thursday night. Since you're not to eat or drink anything for at least twenty-four hours before the operation, it might be easier if you arrive here at eight o'clock on Thursday morning."

"I have to spend all day in the hospital?" Lightning exclaimed.

"There'll be plenty of toys there to keep you occupied," Dr Spark told him. "And a playroom where you can play with other children."

Lightning still looked worried. "Will the operation hurt?"

"Maybe a bit, but you'll be on painkillers, so you shouldn't feel anything."

"Oh."

Dr Spark typed something into his computer. Then he printed out a piece of paper, and he handed it to Mrs McQueen. "This is the information you'll need for Lightning's operation. Call me if there's anything you don't understand."

"I will, and thank you. Come on, Lightning. Let's go home now."

"Can I have an ice cream on the way home, please mum?"

"We'll see."

Lightning turned to Dr Spark. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Knowing exactly what Lightning was thanking him for, Dr Spark winked. Lightning followed his mother out of the office.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 12

On Wednesday afternoon, Lightning was surprised to find that his mother had come to collect him from school instead of Gracie.

"I just want to speak to your teacher for a moment," she explained to Lightning. "I won't be long."

Lightning timidly followed his mother back inside the classroom. Miss Chevy looked happy to see Mrs McQueen.

"Mrs McQueen. How nice to see you again. I've been meaning to call you about Lightning's progress in his schoolwork."

"I hope he's applying himself to his studies."

"Most of them. It's maths he's been struggling in. I was going to suggest extra tuition for him, either here after school or privately."

Mrs McQueen glanced down at Lightning, who was standing quietly beside her. Then she looked back at Miss Chevy.

"I'll have to discuss that with my husband. But that wasn't why I came to see you today."

"It wasn't?"

"No. You see, Lightning is going to undergo an operation on Friday morning, but he needs to spend all day tomorrow at the hospital to prepare for it, so he won't be coming back to school until Monday or Tuesday, depending on how well he recovers from it."

"I'm sorry to hear that. May I ask what the operation is for?"

Mrs McQueen glanced down at Lightning again. "Lightning has a condition called Jaguar Syndrome. The operation is to remove the speed limiter he had installed when he was an infant."

"Oh. I didn't know Lightning had a condition."

"It doesn't affect him. At least, not when it comes to his schooling."

"I see. Well, Lightning, I hope you'll feel better soon."

Lightning nodded shyly and he snuggled closer to Mrs McQueen.

"Thank you, Miss Chevy. Come along, Lightning."

Lightning followed his mother out of the classroom. "I'm nervous about tomorrow, mum," he admitted as they left the school grounds.

"I know you are, sweetie. But Dr Spark knows what he's doing. He'll take good care of you, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Can I have a big dinner tonight, please?"

"Why not?" Mrs McQueen smiled. "Let's go and meet your father from work, and then you can choose where we eat, okay?"

"Yay!" Lightning cheered, and he jumped forwards a little in his excitement.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Wall Street. Lightning paused to stare up at the tall building where his father worked. It was much taller than the Daimler building. Lightning followed his mother inside the building, and they entered a lift. Mr McQueen's office was on the twenty-seventh floor. A receptionist greeted them as they exited the lift.

"Good afternoon, Mrs McQueen," she smiled. "Ah! I see you've brought Master Lightning with you today. It's been a while since I saw him. He's grown a lot."

"He's still got a lot more growing to do, I'm afraid," Mrs McQueen said, glanced affectionately down at Lightning. "It's a shame they have to grow up. I wish he could stay my baby boy forever."

"Yes. Children are very cute. I'm afraid Mr McQueen is in a meeting at the moment. Would you like me to tell him that you're here?"

"Yes, thank you. Please tell him that we'd like to go out for dinner. Lightning's choosing the restaurant."

"Sounds like a fun challenge for you, Master Lightning," the receptionist said with a wink. Lightning grinned. Smiling, the receptionist headed down the hallway. She returned a few minutes later. "Mr McQueen won't be long. His meeting just finished."

Just then, about ten business cars filed past, followed by Mr McQueen.

"Thank you all for coming," Mr McQueen said to the business cars.

"Our pleasure," one of the business cars replied. He glanced over at Mrs McQueen and Lightning. "Mrs McQueen. It's a pleasure to meet you again."

"You too Mr Jones," Mrs McQueen replied.

Mr Jones gestured towards Lightning. "And who might this young fellow be?"

"This is my son, Lightning," Mr McQueen answered proudly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Lightning. And what would you like to be when you grow up?"

Lightning hesitated. He wanted to say that he wanted to be a race car, but he remembered what Dr Spark had said about keeping that quiet, so instead he stared down at the floor. "I'm not sure, sir."

"Well, there's still plenty of time for you to decide. Maybe you'll take after your father and go into business?"

"Only if his maths improves," Mr McQueen muttered under his breath.

"I'd better be going now," Mr Jones said. "It was nice meeting you Lightning. Goodbye Mr and Mrs McQueen."

Once Mr Jones had gone, Mr McQueen looked at his wife and son. "I understand that we're going out to dinner?"

"Lightning wanted to have a big dinner tonight, before tomorrow," Mrs McQueen explained. "I said he could choose the restaurant."

"That sounds like a great idea," Mr McQueen agreed. "I'll just phone Hood and let him know that we won't be home for dinner tonight."

Before long, Lightning was travelling with his parents towards the restaurant district. After passing a few restaurants, Lightning finally chose a French themed restaurant.

"I didn't think you'd choose somewhere quite as sophisticated as this," Mr McQueen remarked as a waiter escorted them to a table.

"Well, I know that the French make the best deserts…" Lightning said, pulling an innocent face. His parents laughed, and they settled down to eat.

Several hours later, Lightning arrived home with his parents. They'd had a wonderful night out together. After dinner, Mr McQueen had taken them to the cinema, letting Lightning choose the film. He'd selected an animated film that he'd really wanted to see, and he was glad his parents had enjoyed it as much as he had.

"Did you have a good night out?" Gracie asked Lightning as she put him to bed.

"Yes. I don't often get to spend time with dad."

"I know. But he is a very busy car."

"I'm really nervous about tomorrow."

"You needn't be. And I'll make sure you have a nice big breakfast before we go to the hospital."

Lightning whimpered nervously. Gracie gave him a quick hug before switching off the light and leaving the room.

Shortly after eight o'clock the next morning, a nurse escorted Lightning, his parents and Gracie to his hospital room.

"I'm sure you'll be quite comfortable here, Lightning," the nurse said.

"And what am I supposed to do all day?" Lightning muttered.

"There's a playroom just down the hallway," the nurse replied. She turned to Mr and Mrs McQueen. "You don't need to stay here. I'm sure you've both got plenty to do."

"I don't know…" Mrs McQueen said hesitantly.

"You can return later this evening if you wish. We won't be doing much with Lightning until later tonight. He can spend the day playing, and we'll keep an eye on him to ensure he doesn't eat or drink anything. He'll be fine."

"I can stay with him," Gracie volunteered.

"Okay then," Mrs McQueen reluctantly agreed. She hugged Lightning tightly. "We'll come back at five o'clock."

Lightning hugged his mother as hard as he could. "I don't want you to go," he whispered.

"I know, sweetie. But it's for the best. After all, you don't want me hanging around you while you're playing. Just pretend you're at school."

Lightning nodded. Then he hugged his father.

"You'll be fine, son. I love you."

"I love you too, dad."

"Come along, Lightning," the nurse instructed. "I'll take you to have a shower, and then I'll take you to the playroom."

"Okay." And Lightning followed the nurse into the bathroom adjoining his room.

After Lightning had had his shower, the nurse escorted him and Gracie to the playroom. There were five other children already in the playroom – two girls and three boys. The nurse took Lightning over to one of the boys, who was a little forklift with one arm in a sling.

"Alex? This is Lightning. I thought you two might like to play with each other."

The nurse left Lightning with Alex. For a moment, neither boy said anything, but then Alex spoke up.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm having an operation tomorrow," Lightning replied. "Did you break your arm?"

"I cracked it. I'm having it operated on tomorrow too."

"How'd you crack it?"

"Playing soccer."

"I play soccer too! Why don't we play a game now? There's a ball over there. Come on!"

Lightning made a dive for the ball, and he kicked it across the room towards Alex. Grinning, Alex kicked the ball back towards Lightning, but his aim was off, and the ball hit one of the other boys instead. Within seconds, all four boys were racing around the room playing soccer, screaming and laughing loudly. The supervising nurse attempted to stop them, but they ignored her. Lightning made a sliding tackle in front of one of the other boys, kicking the ball away from him. The ball went bouncing across the room towards the door, just as Dr Spark entered the room. The ball landed on his hood, and then bounced back onto the floor. The boys froze instantly.

"Whose idea was it to play soccer in here?" Dr Spark asked firmly.

Everyone turned to look at Lightning. He sheepishly backed away.

"Lightning," Dr Spark muttered. "I might've guessed."

"I'm sorry, Dr Spark," the nurse apologised. "I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen to me."

"I see. Come with me, Lightning. I want to show you something."

Lightning followed Dr Spark out of the room, and they headed towards the lifts.

"Where are we going?" Lightning asked.

"Somewhere where you can burn off some energy without injuring anyone else."

"Oh. Sorry."

A few minutes later, Dr Spark and Lightning entered a large, dark room in the basement. Dr Spark switched on the lights. Lightning gasped in amazement. A small oval racetrack filled the enormous room. Lightning glanced up at Dr Spark, expectantly.

"We use this racetrack for rehabilitation purposes," Dr Spark explained. "I want you to use it after your operation tomorrow, so your engine can get used to high speeds again. In the meantime, I want you to try it out."

"When should I stop?"

"When you're either exhausted, or you run out of fuel."

"If I run out of fuel, how will I get back to my room?"

"A nurse can carry you. You're not that heavy," Dr Spark smiled. "Go on."

Lightning hesitated. "What about my mum?"

"I'll tell her the truth; that it's part of your recovery. Well, what are you waiting for?"

Grinning, Lighting drove onto the racetrack. He revved his engine loudly.

"Try and stay under seventy-five!" Dr Spark shouted.

Lightning nodded. Then he accelerated, and raced down the track. Within seconds, he'd hit seventy-five miles per hour. Climbing the first corner, he used the gravity on the downhill curve to gain more speed without pushing his engine.

After about thirty laps, Lightning began to tire. Slowing down, he rolled to a stop near Dr Spark. He was panting heavily.

"Can I have a drink, please?" he asked.

"Sorry, but you're not allowed to eat or drink until after your operation. You'll be okay once you've got your breath back. Come on. Let's get you back to your room so you can rest."

Lightning slowly followed Dr Spark. He was very low on fuel now, and since he wasn't going to get any more, he wanted to preserve it. Dr Spark let Lightning enter the hospital room first. Lightning climbed onto the bed, and he quickly settled down. Gracie gently covered him with a blanket.

"Think you're settled down enough to have a nap?" Dr Spark asked Lightning, who nodded sleepily. "Good. I'll be back in a few hours." He turned to Gracie. "There's a button on the bed you can press if you need a nurse."

"Okay. And thank you," Gracie replied as Lightning yawned. Dr Spark left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Lightning awoke suddenly in the mid afternoon. Dr Spark was doing something to his engine. Lightning shuddered.

"Easy, Lightning," Dr Spark soothed. "I'm just making some checks for your operation. I'm almost done. Please try to stay still for me."

Lightning closed his eyes, and he concentrated on keeping still. Dr Spark didn't hurt him, and after a few more minutes, he finished his checks and closed Lightning's hood.

"Good boy. Everything looks good for tomorrow. Your parents are outside waiting to see you. I'll send them in."

Dr Spark left the room, and a moment later, Mr and Mrs McQueen entered the room.

"How have you been, sweetie?' Mrs McQueen asked him anxiously.

"He's been sleeping for most of the day," Gracie answered on Lightning's behalf. "And he was a bit naughty this morning, when he decided to play a game of soccer with the boys inside the playroom."

"Oh, Lightning!"

Lightning looked sheepishly down at the ground.

"Your teacher's waiting outside," Mr McQueen said, changing the subject before Mrs McQueen could scold Lightning. "She has something for you. I'll show her in."

Miss Chevy slowly entered the room. Clearly, she was unsure of what to expect. "Hello, Lightning."

"Hi," Lightning replied.

"How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty."

The McQueen's and Gracie chuckled. Miss Chevy handed Lightning a large card.

"Some of your classmates wanted to know where you were today, so I told them that you were about to have an operation. They decided to make this card for you."

"Thank you," Lightning whispered. Taking the card, he opened it up and he started to read the messages. After a moment, he looked up at Miss Chevy. "Did I miss anything in school today?"

"Nothing of significance."

"Oh."

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then Miss Chevy decided to leave.

"I hope your operation goes well tomorrow, Lightning," she said on her way out. "I look forward to having you back in class."

Lightning nodded, and Miss Chevy left. Then Lightning settled down to sleep for the night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 13

Lightning slept all through the night, even with the sounds of nurses and doctors bustling about in the hallway outside his room, and the distant sound of wailing sirens. His night nurse kept an eye on him through the camera in his room, and she was pleased that he didn't need her to comfort him at all.

At six o'clock in the morning, the Lightning's day nurse entered his room to begin preparing him for his operation. She worked quietly to ensure she didn't wake Lightning. He didn't notice anything, even when she poured the morphine into his fuel tank.

By eight o'clock, Gracie and Mr and Mrs McQueen had arrived at the hospital, and they were with Lightning. Lightning was still asleep, but not for long.

"Wake up, Lightning," a nurse said cheerfully.

Lightning groaned as he woke up. Before he could wake up fully, the nurse picked him up and she carried him out of the room. She carried him into an examination room, where she set him down on a set of scales. Lightning fell asleep again while he was being weighed. He didn't know why he was so tired, since he'd slept so much the day before. Obviously, his run on the hospital racetrack had worn him out more than he cared to admit.

After the nurse had finished weighing Lightning and checking him over thoroughly, she carried him downstairs to the operating theatre. The McQueens and Gracie followed them. They stopped outside the operating theatre, so Mr and Mrs McQueen could say goodbye to him. Lightning had awoken again, but he was still drowsy.

"We'll be here when you wake up, sweetie," Mrs McQueen promised after she'd kissed Lightning's cheek. Lightning moaned sleepily in response.

The nurse carried Lightning inside the operating theatre, where Dr Spark and the anaesthetist were preparing their equipment. Lightning woke up properly when the nurse set him down on the operating table.

"Is it time already?" he asked with a touch of nervousness in his voice.

"It is indeed," Dr Spark replied. He smiled reassuringly at Lightning. "You'll be fine, and this won't take long. Are you ready to go back to sleep?"

Lightning nodded and he closed his eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" the anaesthetist said, and he quickly placed a nozzle inside Lightning's fuel tank. Lightning snapped his eyes open. "Not so fast, sleepyhead! I need to make sure you're actually asleep. I'm going to turn this machine on, and then I want you to count backwards from ten, okay?"

"Okay," Lightning replied.

The anaesthetist slowly turned on the machine. "Go ahead."

"Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…" Lightning's closed his eyes as he drifted off into a very deep sleep.

Two hours later, Mrs McQueen was anxiously pacing the hallway outside the operating theatre. "He said it wouldn't be a long operation. What's going on?"

"Calm down, Elinor," Mr McQueen replied. "Dr Spark is the very best paediatrician in the country. He'll look after Lightning."

At that moment, Dr Spark emerged from the operating theatre. He wiped some fresh oil off his tyres onto a towel. Realising that it must be Lightning's oil, Mrs McQueen turned deathly pale and she looked ready to faint.

"How's Lightning?" Mr McQueen quickly asked.

"He's in the recovery room now. I'm sorry it took longer than I thought, but when I removed the speed limiter, one of Lightning's oil lines disconnected, and he started bleeding. The oil line was already loose, and I didn't notice until it came off. We'd just managed to stem the bleeding when Lightning stopped breathing. We had to jumpstart him, and he's still unresponsive, but I can assure you that he will make a full recovery."

Mrs McQueen sniffled back some tears. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Lightning's a tough little cookie, and he's a fighter. While it's not common for cars to stop breathing during an operation, it does happen from time to time for no apparent reason. I'll have to check him over thoroughly when he wakes up, and I'll have to test his memory too, so please don't say his name to him when he wakes up."

Mr and Mrs McQueen nodded to show their understanding. Just then, a nurse peeked through the doorway.

"Dr Spark? Lightning's stable now, so he can be taken back to his room."

"Great. Has he responded yet?"

"No."

Dr Spark followed the nurse back through the doors.

Something gently brushed against Lightning's side. It tickled, making his lips twitch.

"Sweetie?" someone whispered. "Come on. Wake up."

A soft, low moan escaped from Lightning's lips. Then he sighed deeply.

"Sweetie?"

"Mum?" Lightning murmured.

"Oh, thank goodness! Can you open your eyes, please? I want to see those beautiful blue eyes of yours."

Smiling, Lightning cautiously opened his eyes. His mother was standing directly in front of him. Someone else cleared their throat. Glancing to his left, Lightning saw Dr Spark.

"It's about time you woke up. There were a few minor complications during your operation, so I just need to test your memory. Can you tell me your full name, please?"

"Uh… Lightning McQueen."

"And your middle name?"

Lightning hesitated, glancing uncertainly at his mother. She nodded slightly, so Lightning answered, "Blaze."

"Great. How old are you?"

"Ten."

"And your birthday?"

"Twelfth of January, nineteen eighty-eight."

"Where do you live?"

"The penthouse of the Daimler Building, Manhattan."

"What are your parents' names?"

"Blaze and Elinor."

"And your nanny's name?"

"Gracie. Gracie Tyre."

"Good. I think you're okay now."

"What happened during my surgery?" Lightning asked, worried.

"You stopped breathing for a few minutes. We had to jumpstart your engine."

"Oh. When can I go home?"

Dr Spark chuckled. "Not yet, youngster! You still need to recover, and we'll need to monitor you for a while. Don't look so disappointed. If you sleep well tonight, I might let you have a bit of a run around the racetrack." He winked as Lightning grinned broadly with excited anticipation. Mrs McQueen bristled, but she said nothing.

"Can't I go on the racetrack now, please?"

Dr Spark shook his hood firmly. "Good things come to those who wait. You must have patience, Lightning."

"I don't want patience!" Lightning pouted. "I want to race!"

"Lightning!" Mrs McQueen hissed.

Dr Spark frowned. "May I speak to you both outside?" he asked Mr and Mrs McQueen.

"Uh…sure," Mr McQueen replied. He gently nudged his wife, and they followed Dr Spark out of the room. The door was left open, and so, with a bit of effort and concentration, Lightning was able to hear the entire conversation.

"Mrs McQueen. Did you know that nearly every single successful racer was born with Jaguar syndrome?"

"Uh…no. No, I didn't know that. But I don't want him to race. It's too dangerous, and he is our only child. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to him."

"But don't you realise that the more you hinder him, the more he'll want to race. It's been built into his engine and his DNA for him to be a racer. And, contrary to popular belief, it takes a lot more than money, speed and skill to be a successful racer. The very best racers have something extra special – a strong desire to win. They develop something called tunnel vision, where the only thing they're focussed on is crossing that finish line in first place. Lightning has that desire, so you just need to let him go. If you don't support him, you'll lose him. His desire to win is going to be far stronger than his love for you by the time he enters his rebellious teenage years."

There was silence for a moment. Then Lightning heard his parents leave. Dr Spark returned inside the room.

"Your parents have gone downstairs to get something to eat," he informed Lightning and Gracie. He looked at Lightning. "You can go back to sleep if you want."

Lightning nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. He closed his eyes. Within minutes, he was fast asleep again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 14

Lightning woke up early the next morning. Less than a minute later, a nurse entered his room, and she picked up his chart.

"How are you feeling this morning, Lightning?"

"Hungry!"

The nurse chuckled. "Okay, I'll get you something to eat in a minute. I just need to check your vitals and refill your fuel drip."

Lightning shifted around restlessly while the nurse fiddled with the machines attached to him. He was itching to get onto that racetrack!

When the nurse returned with Lightning's breakfast, he scoffed it down as quickly as he could, and then asked for more. The nurse firmly refused to give him any more until after Dr Spark had come to check him.

By the time Dr Spark arrived to check on Lightning a few hours later, he found the youngster wriggling around restlessly. Not seeing Dr Spark enter the room, Lightning kicked out with his rear wheels.

"Whoa!" Dr Spark exclaimed. "I might have to clamp you down if you continue behaving like that!"

"Sorry," Lightning apologised. "But I just want to get out of here! Now!"

"I know, but you can't. Your engine has been restricted for most of your life, so you can't just go outside and race around at two hundred miles per hour. You'll have to work your way up to that speed slowly so you don't damage your engine."

Lightning kicked out again and he revved his engine loudly. Dr Spark frowned with concern. The kid could have an attack if he didn't settle down. Going over to Lightning's bed, he pressed a button. Four clamps shot out from underneath it, which grabbed Lightning's wheels and secured them into place.

"Ow!" Lightning exclaimed with surprise. "Hey! That's not fair! I can't move!"

"I'm sorry, but sometimes I need to be cruel to be kind. You wouldn't settle down, and I don't want to see you injure yourself."

Lightning scowled. "Can I have something else to eat?" he asked hopefully.

"Not yet. From the looks of it though, I'd say that you've had more than enough to eat."

"But I'm still hungry!"

Dr Spark shook his hood. Then he lifted Lightning's hood and he began to examine his engine. Lightning shifted around restlessly the whole time. Finally, Dr Spark closed his hood with a sigh.

"Okay, okay! I give in. Let's get you down to the racetrack."

"Yay!" Lightning cheered.

Dr Spark disconnected Lightning from the machines and clamps, and he opened the door. Lightning charged out of the room, and he hurried over to the lifts. Dr Spark went after him, and they entered the lift together.

Minutes later, Lightning and Dr Spark entered the basement where the racetrack was. Lightning dashed onto it and he got ready to race.

"Hold on, youngster!" Dr Spark shouted. "You're not to go over a hundred, okay?"

"But-."

"You could blow your engine up if you push yourself too hard too fast."

"Okay," Lightning reluctantly agreed. Then he revved his engine loudly. It growled beautifully. Grinning, he accelerated onto the track. Glancing down at his speedometer, he saw that he saw still only doing seventy. He pushed harder, watching the needle climb. Eighty. Ninety. Ninety-five. A glance up at Dr Spark reminded him of his orders. He stopped accelerating, but he continued to race around at ninety-five miles per hour. He loved the feeling of the wind rushing past him, so he accelerated again, watching the needle rise to ninety-eight. Then it hit a hundred.

"Yes!" Lightning whispered gleefully to himself.

After a few more laps, Dr Spark signalled for Lightning to stop. "That's enough for now, kid," he said as Lightning skidded to a stop in front of him.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Lightning exclaimed. Dr Spark chuckled. "Can I go faster tomorrow?"

"Sorry, kid, but this track is limited to a hundred miles per hour, because it's so small. And remember what I told you before? You can't just go out and race at your top speed. You need to work your engine up to it slowly over the next few years as you grow. It won't be able to handle those kinds of speeds until you're mature."

Lightning pouted, but he didn't argue. Dr Spark was a specialist in his condition, so he knew what he was doing. Lightning looked up at Dr Spark again. "Do you think I'll ever race in the Piston Cup?"

"There's no reason why you physically can't, so long as you do what I tell you," Dr Spark replied with a wink.

"Great! So, when can I go home?"

"I think you'll be okay to leave tomorrow morning. I just want you to be monitored for one more night."

"Okay."

Lightning was discharged from hospital shortly before noon the next day. His mother and Gracie took him home. He'd had a restless night's sleep, which alarmed the nurses, but not Dr Spark. He knew that, now that Lightning no longer had the speed limiter, he was going to be much more energetic and active. Lightning still needed to learn how to control his powerful engine, but it would be much easier for him to do so now.

Lightning felt exhausted by the time he arrived home. It was just like before he had the speed limiter installed; he'd have bursts of energy and then feel exhausted afterwards. However, this time, Dr Spark had given him some advice on how to deal with that. As Lightning headed to his room to get some sleep, he overheard his father's voice coming from inside his office.

"…no, you can't do that! Look, I've already given you more than you deserve, and I'm yet to see a cent from you! Well, if that's the way you want it… I've had enough of your greed! The answer is no!"

Lightning shrank back as he heard his father slam the phone down. Mr McQueen muttered something under his breath, and then he opened the door. He jumped back in surprise when he saw Lightning.

"Oh! You're home. How are you feeling, son?"

"Tired," Lightning replied.

"Right. Well, I'm giving the staff the night off. You'll be fine without Gracie for a night, won't you?"

"I guess so."

"We'll get take-out for dinner too. Where's your mother?"

"She went into the lounge."

"Okay. Thanks."

Mr McQueen hurried down the hallway, leaving Lightning standing there. Shaking his hood, Lightning headed into his bedroom. It was exactly as he'd left it. He drew the curtains before settling down on his bed to sleep.

The sound of loud arguing woke Lightning many hours later in the early evening. Groaning sleepily, he tried to ignore the voices so he could go back to sleep. But they only grew louder.

"…You owe me a fortune! What makes you think I should help you now?"

"Please! I'm desperate! If I don't pay them back by noon tomorrow…"

Lightning wasn't sure, but he thought he recognised the second voice.

"I have a good mind to cut you out of my will altogether!"

"You mean, so you can give everything to that precious son of yours?" the other car spat.

"Just because you never had any children, there's no need for you to get jealous! Lightning has every right to inherit."

"Well, I'm going to put a stop to that!"

"Put that gun back!"

There was a loud 'BANG!', and then the voices fell silent. Shocked, Lightning shrugged off his blankets, and he hurried out into the hallway. He was just in time to see the rear end of a dark blue car enter the lift. He dashed over to it, but the doors were already closed. He pressed the button numerous times to try and bring the lift back, but he was too late. Lightning finally stopped and, turning, he froze in horror.

Mr McQueen was lying with his wheels spread apart on the lounge room floor. Oil was dripping out of his mouth and more oil was soaking into the carpet beneath him. A bullet hole could clearly be seen just above his mouth.

"Dad!" Lightning screamed, and he raced over to him. He pushed himself into his father's body, desperately, but he didn't respond. Panicked, Lightning went over to the phone, and he dialled the emergency number.

"Emergency services. How can I help you?"

"My dad's just been shot," Lightning panted. He was hyperventilating and he felt very dizzy, but he fought against it.

"Can you give me your address, please?"

"Daimler building penthouse, Manhattan."

"Okay, I'm dispatching the ambulance and police to you now. What's your name?"

"Lightning."

"Okay, Lightning. Is your father conscious at all?"

"No."

"Is anyone else home with you?"

"I don't think so. I thought mum would be home, but I was asleep. I don't know where she is."

"Okay, I need you to calm down and keep talking to me. How old are you?"

'Ten. Please, hurry!"

"The paramedics are almost there. They're entering the Daimler building now."

"I feel sick," Lightning whispered.

"Look, just stay with me, okay? Let me know when the paramedics arrive."

A moment later, the lift doors opened, and three paramedics entered the penthouse. Two went straight over to Mr McQueen, while the third went over to Lightning. He took over the phone.

"Thank you, operator. We've arrived, and we're dealing with the situation now." He hung up the phone and turned to Lightning, who was trembling with shock. "You did a great job, kid. What's your name?"

Lightning was too upset and shaken to answer, so the paramedic took him out of the lounge so he wouldn't have to see the other paramedics working on his father. He gently placed a silver blanket over Lightning.

"There you go now, kid. You'll be okay," the paramedic soothed.

At that moment, four police officers arrived. The female officer, a forklift, came over to Lightning and the paramedic.

"Check the house for anyone else," she instructed one of the other officers before turning to Lightning. "What's your name?"

"L-Lightning."

"And your surname?"

"McQueen."

The officer wrote it down in her notebook. The other officer returned.

"The rest of the house is clear," he said.

"Thank you. Now, Lightning. Can you tell us what happened, please?"

Lightning recounted everything he'd seen and heard as far as he could remember them. "I don't remember anything else," he whispered as he finished. "It all happened so fast."

"Are you sure that the car who entered the lift was dark blue?"

"Yes."

"Do you know model it was?"

"No."

"Okay. Thanks, Lightning." The female officer looked at the paramedic. "Are you going to take him to hospital?"

"I think we'd better. He's in shock. Come with me, please, Lightning."

But Lightning didn't move. He shook his hood. "No! I want my mum!"

"We'll find her, but for now, you need to come with us."

Lightning burst into tears, and he shrank back. The police officer put her arm around Lightning.

"I know you're frightened, but we need to look after you. You're in shook, so the best place for you right now is the hospital."

"But I just got out of there this morning!" Lightning exclaimed. The paramedic and police officer exchanged glances.

"What were you in there for?" the paramedic asked.

"I had an operation," Lightning muttered.

"Oh. Well, I'm afraid you still need to come with us. If you've just had an operation, there's all the more reason why we need to check you out thoroughly."

"I can't leave dad."

"He'll be coming to the hospital too. Now come along. Please." There was an earnestness in the paramedic's voice which made Lightning finally obey him. He tried to get a glimpse of his father on the way out, but the paramedics blocked his view.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 15

A few hours later, a nurse helped Lightning get settled in his hospital room. He'd endured heaps of tests and questions, but now the doctors and nurses were finally going to let him rest. They wanted to keep him in the hospital overnight for observation, and Lightning was too exhausted to argue with them. Once Lightning was on the bed, one of the nurses began filling a syringe with a clear liquid.

"What's that?" Lightning asked sleepily.

"It's just a sedative," she replied. "It'll help calm you down."

"But I don't want to calm down."

"That's why the doctor ordered me to give you this," the nurse said firmly, and she inserted the syringe inside Lightning's fuel tank. Within minutes, Lightning was fast asleep.

When he awoke, it was early afternoon. Gracie, Aunt May, Uncle Peter and his wife, Susan, were all gathered in Lightning's room.

"What's going on?" Lightning asked as he fought off the drowsiness.

"Easy there, Lightning," Gracie soothed. "You've been asleep for just over two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Lightning exclaimed loudly. "How? Why?"

"The doctors decided it was best to keep sedating you after all the trauma you've had," Uncle Peter explained.

"What trauma?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" a stranger asked. It was a doctor.

Lightning thought hard for a moment. Then it all came rushing back to him. "Dad!" he shouted. He tried to move, but clamps held his wheels firmly in place.

"Shh! Just settled down," Gracie said. "It's no use trying to fight against something that's stronger than you."

Pouting, Lightning stopped struggling. "Where's dad?"

Silence filled the room for a moment. Lightning glanced at Aunt May and, seeing the tears filling her eyes, he guessed the awful truth.

"No!" he screamed. "No, he-he can't be dead!"

The doctor started doing something to Lightning's fuel tank, but Lightning didn't even notice.

"I'm so sorry, Lightning," Aunt May said sadly. "He was already dead by the time the paramedics arrived."

"No!"

"You did what you could," Gracie added, but Lightning didn't seem to hear her.

"No! No! No! No! Where's mum?"

The strained silence between the adults continued. Lightning glanced wildly at each of them, waiting for an answer. Then Uncle Peter spoke up.

"Your mother was arrested for your father's murder," he said flatly. "She was found guilty and she'll be sentenced tomorrow."

Lightning couldn't believe his ears. He let out a long, piercing scream of despair that only ended when the sedative took hold of him again.

The next time Lightning woke up, he was all alone in his hospital room. He revved his engine, but his wheels were still clamped firmly in place. Sighing, Lightning gave up trying to move. A few minutes later, a nurse entered the room.

"How long do I have to stay here?" Lightning grumbled.

"The doctor will be here to see you later this afternoon," she replied curtly.

"How long have I been here?"

"Three weeks. You should be able to go home soon though."

"Great!" Lightning muttered, rolling his eyes. Then he froze as a thought struck him. "My parents…"

The nurse softened. "I'm really, really sorry for you. Truly, I am."

"Mum? What's happened to her?"

"She was sentenced to ten years for the murder of your father."

"But she didn't do it! She didn't kill him! Someone else did!" And Lightning burst into tears. He'd never felt so alone before in his life. The nurse waited until Lightning's tears had subsided before she began to attend to his fuel drip.

"I don't know the circumstances surrounding your father's murder, so it wouldn't be right for me to comment," she said. Then she left the room.

That evening, Uncle Peter and Aunt Susan arrived. Lightning had refused to eat any dinner, and he was now in a bad mood.

"Hi, Lightning," Aunt Susan greeted him cheerfully. "The doctor says you can come home tomorrow, so that's good news."

"Is it?" Lightning snapped. "And who's going to look after me?"

"Didn't we tell you?" Uncle Peter said. "The court decided that we'll be your guardians. Your Aunt May wanted to look after you, but the court refused since she's not married. She's the executor of your father's will though, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that he'd left that fancy penthouse to her. As a convicted criminal, your mother can't inherit anything, so what was going to go to her has been divided up amongst the relatives. It's much better than allowing the government to claim it."

Lightning remained silent. He didn't care to hear about his father's possessions being given away like a lucky prize dip.

"The best news, Lightning, is your inheritance," Uncle Peter continued. "Your father left you the bulk of his fortune – Fifty-three million dollars. Imagine what you'll be able to do with that."

The cold look Lightning gave his uncle made the older car back away in surprise.

"My father is DEAD and my mother is in prison, and all you care about is some stupid inheritance!" Lightning snapped as he lost his temper. "Doesn't anyone care to ask what I want?"

"What do you want, sweetie?" Aunt Susan asked.

"Don't call me that! EVER!" Lightning shouted. "And if you must know, all I want to do is get out of here and go and live with Aunt May!"

"Well, you can't," Uncle Peter said gruffly. "Now shut up, or I'll have the nurse sedate you again."

Lightning's rage boiled over and his engine roared aggressively. He tried once again to break away from the wheel clamps, but they wouldn't budge. After a few minutes, he gave up and began crying instead. It took some time, but Lightning had exhausted himself thoroughly, and he ended up crying himself to sleep.

Late the next day, Lightning reluctantly followed his aunt and uncle south towards Washington DC, where they lived. Lightning had wanted to bring Gracie with him, but Uncle Peter had told him firmly that Gracie was no longer his nanny because he was old enough not to need one. He'd also refused to let Lightning say goodbye to Miss Chevy and his classmates. Instead, he'd phoned the school principle to inform him that Lightning would no longer be attending that school.

They'd been driving for most of the day, and Lightning was feeling very tired, both emotionally and physically. Noticing that Lightning was lagging behind, Aunt Susan glanced back at him.

"How are you feeling, Lightning?" she asked. When Lightning didn't respond, she added, "We're almost there."

They soon arrived at Mr and Mrs Piston's house. It was much smaller than the penthouse, but it did have a large front and back yard. Lightning followed his aunt and uncle inside. They showed him to his new room. It was very bare.

"Sorry we didn't have time to decorate it for you," Aunt Susan apologised. "Tomorrow, we can go shopping and you can chose whatever you want."

With a sad sigh, Lightning entered the room. He didn't look at his aunt and uncle again, so they moved down the hallway a bit to talk.

"I'm really worried about him," Aunt Susan said. "He hasn't spoken a word since he left the hospital, and he hasn't eaten all day!"

"Give him time. He's grieving right now. He'll come around soon enough."

Lightning slammed the bedroom door with as much force as he could muster.

"Or maybe not," Uncle Peter added with a sigh.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 16

**Five years later - 2003**

"Weakling! Son of a murderer! Spoilt brat! Mummy's boy!"

Lightning froze when he heard the name calling coming from across the hallway. He turned to face his tormentors.

"Why can't you lot just leave me alone?"

"Aww! What are ya gonna do ta me, 'Frightening'?" the bully taunted. "You ain't got what it takes to thrash me, and ya know it!"

The bully and his companions laughed. For five years, Lightning had endured the bullies at his school. Everyone knew what had happened to his parents. It was impossible to keep the death of a multi-millionaire out of the newspapers. Or off the internet for that matter. He'd done his best to be patient, but now something had to give, and it did.

With a high-pitched squeal from his tyres, Lightning lunged straight at the bullies, aiming directly for their leader, Marcus. Caught completely off-guard, Marcus was unable to move away in time, and Lightning rammed into him. Hard. The two cars went spinning across the concrete floor of the school hallway, with Marcus coming off worst. He slammed into a set of lockers, knocking them over. He didn't wait though, and he immediately charged at Lightning. But Lightning was prepared for him and, accelerating rapidly, he spun a doughnut to get out of the bully's way.

_Crash!_

Marcus rammed head-on into a second set of lockers. By now, a large crowd of students had gathered around to watch.

"Fight in the hall!" a student shouted, but Lightning barely heard him. Before Marcus had completely recovered from his second collision, Lightning had rammed himself into Marcus' side, accelerating hard as he did. His tyres spun wildly as he did a burnout, but he didn't care. He watched as his speedometer needle rose higher. A hundred and fifty…a hundred and sixty…a hundred and seventy…

"McQueen!" someone shouted, and then someone gave him a hard push.

"Oof!" Lightning gasped as the force winded him for a moment. He spun around, ready to lunge again, but the teacher was too quick, and before Lightning realised it, he had a parking boot clamped around his wheel.

"Just stop this right now!" the teacher shouted in Lightning's face.

"Okay, okay! He started it though."

"I don't care who started it! I'm finishing it. Get yourself to the principal's office. Now!"

Scowling, Lightning turned and he limped through the crowd that parted for him.

Fifteen minutes later, Lightning found himself inside the principal's office. The principal was on the phone, talking to the teacher who'd broken up the fight.

"All right. Thank you, Mr Wilkins. I think I've got story straight now. Bye." He hung up the phone and he turned to face Lightning. "So, you started a fight, huh?"

"No! Marcus started it! He and his friends have been bullying me for five years, and today was the final straw! I've had enough!"

"Why didn't you tell your teacher about it?"

"I did! Heaps of times. Fat load of good it did though." And Lightning slumped down on his tyres.

The principal drew in a deep breath. "Okay, well, I'm going to have to phone your parents…"

"They're not my parents," Lightning mumbled, correcting him.

The principal arched an eyebrow in surprise, but he didn't reach for the phone. There was something about Lightning's demeanour which stopped him. Instead, he turned to the computer and brought up Lightning's school record.

"I see that this is the first time you've been sent here."

Lightning remained silent. The principal let out a long sigh.

"Okay, well, since this is the first time you've been in trouble, I'm going to suspend you for one day. Now I'll phone your guardians."

"Whatever!" Lightning scoffed.

The principal turned sharply towards him. "You know what? It's that kind of cocky attitude that's going continue landing you in trouble, young man!"

Now it was Lightning's turn to sigh. The principal reached for the phone, and he dialled the number of the place where Mr Piston worked. Uncle Peter answered after the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Mr Piston? This is Principal Ryan from Highgrove Secondary school. I have your, uh…ward, Lightning McQueen, with me. I'm afraid he got involved in a fight today, so-."

"What?" Mr Piston shouted so loudly that even Lightning could hear it. He cringed.

"I've decided to suspend Lightning from school for a day," the principal continued flatly. He spoke to Mr Piston for a few more minutes, and then he hung up the phone. "You can return to class now. Your guardian will speak to you when you get home."

Lightning left the principal's office.

Uncle Peter never did speak to Lightning when he got home. He just sent Lightning straight to his room without any dinner.

Lightning slept in late the next morning. His aunt and uncle had gone to work, leaving Lightning alone inside the house. Bored, Lightning put on the TV. After a few minutes of channel surfing, he settled on the Racing Sports Network channel, which was showing a replay of the last Piston Cup race. Lightning had already seen the race on the weekend, but since there was nothing else on, he settled down to watch it.

Shortly after midday, Lightning went outside to collect the mail. There were a few letters for his uncle and, strangely, one from the bank addressed to him. Once he was back inside the house, Lightning opened his letter. What he saw shocked him.

The letter from the bank was an account statement. Lightning was astonished to see that large withdrawals from his account had been made in the past three months, and that the closing balance was only thirty-six thousand dollars.

"What?" Lightning exclaimed. "That CAN'T be right!"

He began to panic. He knew that his inheritance had been placed in a trust account that only his uncle could access until Lightning turned eighteen, and he certainly hadn't made any withdrawals since he'd inherited the money. He couldn't anyway; not without his uncle's signature as well as his own, so there was only one car who could have done this.

Lightning hurried down the hallway, and he entered his uncle's study. The room was a huge mess, which is why Lightning and his aunt never went in there, so his uncle never bothered to keep things locked away. Lightning began searching through his uncle's filing cabinet. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. Pages and pages of bank statements were stuffed inside the cabinet, and they were all from his bank account, showing withdrawals dating back five years. For several minutes, Lightning sat on the floor, completely stunned. He had no idea what to do, so he reached for the phone and he rang the local police station.

"This is Constable Jennings. How can I help you?"

"Hi. Um…I've just discovered that my uncle has been stealing money out of my trust account. I'm sorry to trouble you with this, but I didn't know who else to turn to."

"Okay. What's your name?"

"Lightning McQueen."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Thanks. Are you living with your uncle?"

"Yes. He and my aunt are my guardians."

"Right. Are they at home at the moment?"

"No. I got suspended from school for a day for fighting, which is why I'm at home."

Constable Jennings almost laughed, but she managed to supress it. "Thank you for owning up about that. You've got two courses of action you can take. You can either contact a lawyer and go through the courts, which will take a long time and cost a lot of money, or I can come around and conduct an investigation if you have any evidence."

"I have plenty of evidence. The bank records speak for themselves."

"Okay. I'll come around then. Can I have your address, please?"

Lightning gave it to her, and then he hung up the phone. He was trembling with rage. Questions ran through his mind. Why had his uncle stolen his inheritance? How had he managed to do it? And more importantly, where had the money gone?

Twenty minutes later, Constable Jennings arrived with her colleague, Constable Smith. Lightning showed them into the lounge room, where he'd carefully arranged all the bank statements in order.

"This is what I found in my uncle's study," Lightning explained. He handed them one of the statements. "And this is the bank statement that arrived today. That's what made me realise what was going on."

"I see," Constable Jennings said, glancing at the bank statement. "Have you ever touched the account yourself?"

"I can't until I'm eighteen. It's a trust account."

"How did you inherit fifty-three million dollars?" Constable Smith wondered.

"My father was murdered five years ago. As his only child, I inherited all his money."

"What about your mother?"

Lightning flinched. "I'd rather not talk about that," he muttered.

"Didn't you say your name was McQueen?" Constable Jennings asked without looking up from the bank statements.

"Yes."

"Then your father must have been Blaze McQueen, right?"

Lightning nodded slowly. Constable Jennings sighed.

"Sorry. Just piecing everything together. Your father's murder was a big news story in New York. After all, it's not every day that a multi-millionaire is found shot in his own home."

Tears pricked Lightning's eyes and he shrank back. "I don't want to talk about it."

"That's fine. Right, well, I'll go and phone the bank now, and Constable Smith can bag these documents up as evidence. You have a very strong case against your uncle. You'd have a family lawyer, right?"

Lightning shrugged. "I guess, but I don't know who."

"Don't worry. I'll find out for you. Excuse me while I make those phone calls."

Constable Jennings went into the hallway. Lightning stayed out of the way while Constable Smith put all the bank records into an evidence bag and labelled it.

After a while, Constable Jennings returned to the lounge room. "Okay, the bank has frozen your account, so your uncle won't be able to make any more withdrawals. Turns out he was falsifying your signature. I've also found out who your lawyer is. His name is Mr Blake. I wrote down the address of his office in New York, and his phone number. I suggest you contact him as soon as possible. Now, can you please tell me where your uncle works, so we can go and arrest him?"

Lightning told them, and he also gave them the address and phone number of his aunt's workplace. The police officers then left, leaving Lightning on his own. Feeling restless with nervous excitement, Lightning left a note on the floor of the kitchen for his aunt, and then he left the house.

A short time later, Lightning arrived at the police station. He was just in time to see Constable Jennings return with about five other officers. Between them, they were dragging Uncle Peter in wheel cuffs. Uncle Peter was protesting his innocence wildly, but the officers ignored him. They disappeared inside the police station. Lightning choked back a sob. He didn't feel sorry for his uncle, but he was very frightened because he didn't know what would happen to him now.

A short time later, Aunt Susan arrived at the police station. Lightning watched her go inside, and then he took off down the street, not really caring where he went or how fast he was going. He just had to get away for a while so he could think.

It was very late in the evening by the time Lightning returned home. To his surprise, he found Constable Jennings and Constable Smith inside the house along with Aunt Susan.

"Lightning! Where on earth have you been?" Aunt Susan gasped as soon as she saw him.

"We were just about ready to consider sending out a search party for you," Constable Jennings frowned.

"I'm sorry, but I just needed some time alone to think," Lightning replied in a low whisper.

"Well, don't you ever take off like that again!" Aunt Susan scolded. Then she hugged Lightning tightly. "I'm sorry, Lightning. I'm so sorry about what Peter did to you. If I'd known…"

"It's okay, aunt. What's going to happen to Uncle Peter?"

"It seems he was leading a double life," Constable Jennings explained. "We haven't got all the details yet, but it seems that he was having an affair with one of his co-workers, and spending your inheritance on her."

"What?" Lightning whispered, stunned.

"Yes. He bought her a mansion, expensive holidays overseas, jewellery…you name it! We're in the process of confiscating it now."

"Then what?"

"That will be up to the court to decide. Most likely, he'll be ordered to repay you the money, and so everything he bought will be sold off, and the proceeds given to you. It doesn't always happen that way though."

"Oh."

"The other thing is, your aunt and uncle will no longer be able to be your guardians."

"Oh, no!" Lightning whispered, and, feeling sick in his tank, he closed his eyes. He was expecting Constable Jennings to say that he'd be placed into State care.

"Are there any other relatives he could be placed with?" Constable Jennings asked Aunt Susan.

"Yes. There's his aunt on his father's side. Lightning's very close to her, but he wasn't allowed to be placed into her care five years ago because she's unmarried."

"Well, since the circumstances have now changed, I'm sure a judge will permit Lightning to be placed in his aunt's care. We try to place children with a family member before they are put into State care. A married couple is desirable, but not essential."

Lightning released a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. "I'm, going to bed," he announced.

"You haven't had any dinner!" Aunt Susan exclaimed.

"I'm not hungry. Goodnight. And thank you for your help, Constable Jennings and Constable Smith. I really appreciate your help."

"No problem," Constable Jennings smiled. "Don't forget to phone your lawyer."

Lightning waved a tyre at her, acknowledging. He'd phone the lawyer tomorrow. He felt completely spent.

Just over a week later, everything had changed for Lightning. Uncle Peter had been charged with embezzling, and he was awaiting his trial. Lightning's trust account was placed into the bank manager's trust, but he still wasn't allowed to touch the account until his eighteenth birthday. A judge had decided to place Lightning in the care of Aunt May, but he had to wait until she could get some time off work to come and collect him.

Now, that day had arrived. Lightning was thrilled to finally be allowed to go and live with Aunt May, but he was sorry to leave Aunt Susan all alone. She assured him that she didn't mind, because she had a close circle of friends, but Lightning still felt a little guilty when he left her.

However, by the time Lightning and Aunt May turned onto the highway towards New York, Lightning felt happy again. He started to race on ahead, but Aunt May quickly stopped him.

"Save it for another time, speedster," she teased. "I don't want you getting booked for speeding."

"It'd be worth it!" Lightning grinned. "I have never reached my top speed, and I'm desperate to see just how fast I can push myself."

"You'll ruin your engine if you push it too hard too soon," Aunt May reminded him.

"I know, I know! I just want to race though."

"I don't see any reason why you can't become a race car."

"I can. My mum," Lightning pouted.

"Well, she's not here to stop you, is she? Have you been to see her?"

"No. Uncle Peter banned me from visiting her."

"Well, you should. She really misses you."

"Maybe." Lightning shrugged. Then he glanced at Aunt May. "Will you help me become a racer?"

"Of course! You were built to be a racer. It runs in your oil lines."

"Yeah. I know." And Lightning winked at his aunt.

A few hours later, Aunt May escorted Lightning through the busy streets of Manhattan in New York City. He was almost home, and yet, Lightning couldn't help feeling a sense of trepidation. He had not returned to the penthouse since the day of his father's murder. Aunt May could see how nervous Lightning was getting, but she said nothing.

Finally, they arrived at the Daimler Building. Lightning trembled nervously as they drove inside the grand foyer. Lightning gazed up at the magnificent chandelier hanging overhead. It never ceased to impress him, even now. He followed Aunt May inside one of the lifts, closing his eyes as the doors closed behind them.

"I'm scared," he whispered.

"There's nothing to be scared of, Lightning," Aunt May soothed. "The penthouse is exactly the same as you left it."

"That's what's scaring me."

"Oh."

When the lift doors opened, Lightning looked away from the direction of the lounge room. In his mind's eye, he could still see his poor dead father lying there in a pool of oil. He choked back a sob and hurried to his old room. It was exactly the same as he'd left it, which made it somewhat more morbid than homely. Feeling ill in his tank, Lightning closed the curtains. He'd have to ask Aunt May if he could sleep in the guest room until he'd sorted out all his old belongings.

Suddenly, Lightning sensed that someone was standing in the doorway. Turning, he saw Mr Hood. Lightning gasped.

"So… You're back," Mr Hood frowned sternly.

"I-I suppose I am," Lightning whispered.

Mr Hood stared at Lightning for another moment, studying him intently. "Dinner is served," he finally said.

Lightning followed Mr Hood into the dining room. Aunt May was already there, waiting for him. Mr Hood served out the dinner, and then he returned to the kitchen. Lightning watched him leave.

"What happened to the rest of the staff?" he asked.

"I retained the chef, but it seemed pointless to keep Gracie without you for her to care for, so I had to let her go. I still stay in contact with her. She's a school teacher now."

"Oh." There was silence for a moment, but then Lightning spoke up again. "What do I need to do to become a race car? Besides being fast, that is." And he winked.

"You'll need to find a suitable sponsor. I can help arrange that. But Lightning… There'll be no racing until you finish school."

"What?" Lightning whined. "But that's not fair!"

"It's very fair, Lightning. Racing is very unpredictable, so you'll need to have something to fall back onto just in case you find you can never race again."

"But-."

Aunt May held up her tyre. "No buts, Lightning. I'm not being mean. I'm being realistic. I know you want to race, but you need to be patient."

"But I can't return to school!" Lightning exclaimed.

"Why not?"

Lightning looked sheepishly down at the can of oil on the table in front of him. "I'll get bullied."

"Why?"

"Because of mum." Tears pricked Lighting's eyes.

"Oh, Lightning! I'm so sorry! I didn't realise. But I'm sure we can work something out. Maybe you could do home schooling?"

"I'd prefer that," Lightning said with a small smile.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 17

**One Year Later - 2004**

Lightning closed his eyes and he held his breath nervously as Aunt May clicked onto the website link that would open up Lightning's school report. He'd worked very hard on his studies that year, especially on mathematics, and he hoped that Aunt May would let him race now. So far, he'd never really had the opportunity to go faster than a hundred and twenty miles per hour.

"Hmm…" Aunt May mused as she glanced through the report. "Not bad…"

Lightning opened his eyes. "Did I pass?"

Aunt May turned away from the computer so she could look at him. A huge grin was plastered on her face. "Yes. Top of the class! Congratulations, Lightning!" And with that, she embraced Lightning in a tight hug.

"Awesome! So, can I start racing now? Pleeeeease!"

Aunt May released Lightning and she looked at him seriously. "You still have two years left of school."

"I can do it while I'm on the racing circuit. I've already figured it all out. If I start racing in the Piston Cup Preliminary races next year and I do well enough, I can enter the Piston Cup series the year after. I'll be eighteen then, which is the minimum age for entering the Piston Cup series. I just need to find a sponsor who already has a racing team."

"And what about school?"

"As I said, I can do it on the road between races. Please, Aunt May! You said it yourself – this is what I was built for."

Aunt May let out a long, reluctant sigh. "Okay, but on one condition."

"What?"

"You see Dr Spark first. I'm just worried that you'll ruin your engine if you push it too hard too soon."

"Okay," Lightning agreed.

A few days later, Lightning and Aunt May entered the hospital where Dr Spark worked. Lightning couldn't help feeling a little nervous as he followed his aunt down the long hallway to Dr Spark's office. It had been six years since he'd seen Dr Spark, and secretly he hoped that this would be the very last time.

When they entered the office, Lightning smiled a little when he saw two children playing with the toys on the floor. Not too long ago, that had been him. A little black Ferrari was playing with a wooden race car. Lightning went over to him.

"Hey there."

"Hi," the little Ferrari smiled.

"Do you like racing?"

"Yes. I want to be a race car someday."

"So do I," Lightning smiled. "I'm sure you'll be a racer one day too."

Another little boy, a yellow Lamborghini threw a ball at Lightning. It bounced off his front fender and went under a table. Lightning's childhood instincts took over, and he made a playful dive for the ball. The two boys joined him, and within seconds the three of them were playing a game of soccer in the confined space of the waiting room. Remembering how big he now was, Lightning played gently with the younger kids. Even so, he managed to block a goal just as Dr Spark emerged from his office with another family. The ball bounced off Lightning's rear fender, right where his fuel tank inlet was. It flew through the air and landed directly on Dr Spark's hood, making him yelp in surprise. Lightning immediately burst out laughing, and the two boys joined him.

Dr Spark shook the ball off his hood. "Lightning McQueen! I might have known it would be you! That's the second time you've done that!"

Lightning continued laughing hysterically, and he did a wheel slaps with the two boys. Shaking his hood, Dr Spark went over to the front desk. The receptionist handed him a file, and he called out one of the boys' names. The little Lamborghini sheepishly went with his parents inside Dr Spark's examination office. Aunt May coughed to get Lightning's attention.

"Come and sit over here, Lightning, and act your age."

Lightning reluctantly joined her, but he quickly became bored. After flicking through a few magazines and finding nothing of interest, he eyed the ball eagerly. A stern glare from Aunt May made Lightning shrink back. But he just couldn't keep still. Time seemed to pass slower than usual, and finally, Lightning couldn't take it anymore. He made a dive for the ball, and he chased it all around the room.

"Lightning! That's enough!" Aunt May exclaimed. She grabbed the ball and carried it over to the receptionist. "I'm sorry. He's not normally this excitable," she apologised.

"That's okay," the receptionist smiled. "I've seen a lot worse. I have some mind games he can play with if he wants to."

"That's very kind of you, thanks," Aunt May said. She carried the mind games over to Lightning. "Hopefully these should keep you occupied for a while."

They did, but not for long. Lightning quickly became restless again. Just as he thought he'd go mad in the confined waiting room, Dr Spark finally called his name.

"About time!" Lightning muttered as he followed Dr Spark inside his office. Aunt May followed him, and she closed the door.

"Well, Lightning, it's been a long time since I last saw you," Dr Spark said as he went over to his computer.

"Six years," Lightning replied. "It was just after my second operation."

"Yes, I remember. How have you been?"

"Um…" Lightning shifted his right front wheel uncomfortably. "As well as can be expected, I suppose…"

"I'm sorry. I heard about your father… And your uncle…"

"My uncle got what he deserved," Lightning snapped. "I don't feel sorry for him at all!"

"Oh. Right, well, let's get this examination over with then. I'm just going to ask you few questions first…" Dr Spark looked at his computer screen. "Since the operation, have you had any pain in your engine, or any problems with it?"

"No."

"Have you had any attacks?"

"Um… What do you mean by 'attacks'?"

"Have you ever raced around uncontrollably and been unable to stop until you're exhausted?"

Lightning hesitated. "Uh… Yes, I suppose I do…"

"He had one just now in the waiting room," Aunt May interjected.

"But I've never been left completely exhausted like I used to be," Lightning quickly added. He was really worried now.

Dr Spark frowned and he looked at Lightning. "What's the fastest you've ever gone?"

"A hundred and seventy, but that was only once. Normally, I only get up to a hundred and twenty. Nobody lets me go faster than that," he added sadly. "They're all worried that I'll damage my engine."

"I see. Can you get onto the lift, please?"

Lightning hesitated. Like most cars, he didn't like hydraulic lifts. The feeling of being completely helpless in the air while a doctor poked around underneath them could be very overwhelming and distressing. Seeing Lightning's hesitation, Dr Spark gave him a gentle nudge.

"Go on. I just want to do a scan of your engine. It won't hurt."

"Okay," Lightning breathed. Biting his bottom lip, he drove onto the lift. Dr Spark pressed a button that raised the lift a few inches off the ground. He then aimed a machine directly at Lightning's hood, and he switched off the lights. Lightning gulped nervously. The only light in the room now came from the machine and the computer screen.

"You need to stay completely still for a moment, Lightning," Dr Spark instructed. "I know that's almost asking the impossible, but I'll let you know when you can move again. This won't take long."

Lightning froze. The light from the machine intensified dramatically, nearly blinding Lightning. He closed his eyes tightly. Then, as quickly as it had intensified, the light softened. Dr Spark switched on the lights again.

"Thanks, Lightning. You can move again now."

Lightning breathed a sigh of relief. "Can you let me down now?"

"Actually, I think I'll leave you up there," Dr Spark grinned. "It's one thing for a three year old to have an attack; it's quite another for a seventeen year old."

Lightning pouted. Ignoring him, Dr Spark, turned to the computer screen to examine the scan of Lightning's engine. The room was completely silent for a few minutes, but then Dr Spark came over to Lightning.

"Your engine looks fantastic," he said, smiling. He pressed the button to lower the lift. "Let's get you onto the rolling road."

Lightning gladly did so. He didn't mind rolling roads anywhere near as much as the lift. Once Lightning was on the rolling road, Dr Spark pressed another button. Two clamps shot out from the rolling road, and they clamped down Lightning's front wheels so he couldn't move them.

"Right. I want you to go as fast as you possibly can," Dr Spark instructed.

Lightning raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

"Don't you want to go fast?"

"Of course I do! It's just…"

"You've been told your whole life not to go fast, and now you're too scared to, right?" Dr Spark guessed.

"Yeah."

Dr Spark watched Lightning patiently, waiting for him to start. After a moment, Lightning started his engine, but he left it idling. Aunt May let out a frustrated sigh.

"Oh, for pity's sake, Lightning!" she exclaimed. "Just go for it!"

Lightning jumped at her sharp tone, making him accidentally over-revved his engine. Then, shaking his hood, he floored it. He watched his speedometer nervously. It quickly reached a hundred and twenty. Glancing at Dr Spark, he increased his speed. It climbed to a hundred and fifty, then a hundred and seventy…a hundred and eighty…

Lightning closed his eyes. He was worried about what would happen to him once he reached two hundred. But he was so desperate to see what it was like, he pushed his engine harder than he ever had before. Squinting, he glanced at his speedometer. It was slowly inching towards two hundred. His RPM dial was already well into the red, and he was in sixth gear.

The speedometer needle finally hit two hundred. Flames shot out of Lightning's exhausts, making Aunt May flinch back with concern.

"Don't be alarmed!" Dr Spark told her over the deafening roar of Lightning's engine. "The flames are perfectly normal. Keep going, Lightning! Keep redlining it!"

Lightning had both of his eyes open now. He could scarcely believe just how fast he was going! After a moment, a broad grin crossed his face. Yes! He could definitely become a race car now. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to go even faster, but his engine was completely maxed out.

After a few more minutes, Dr Spark moved in front of Lightning. "That's enough!" he shouted.

Pouting, Lightning reluctantly began to slow down. He rolled to a stop, grinning broadly.

"How did that feel?" Dr Spark asked.

"Incredible!" Lightning fairly shouted. "Whoo-hoo! Ka-chow! Can I become a race car now? Please?"

"There's no reason why he can't," Dr Spark said to Aunt May. "His engine is running smoothly, and he's almost completely mature – growth-wise, I mean. His mental maturity may take a few more years…"

Aunt May looked up at Lightning, who was still secured to the rolling road. "All right, Lightning. I can see that nothing's going to stop you. I'll try to arrange a sponsor for you."

"Thank you, aunt," Lightning said, smiling appreciatively. "Can I get off here now?"

Chuckling, Dr Spark released the clamps.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 18

"Now, remember, Lightning. Be on your very best behaviour," Aunt May warned as they entered the fancy New York restaurant. "Mind your manners and don't speak unless you're spoken to."

"I'm not a kid, aunt!" Lightning protested, rolling his eyes. He followed his aunt over to a table, where three other cars were already seated. Lightning drew in a deep breath. He couldn't believe this was really happening to him. If all went well, he'd leave the meeting today with a racing sponsor!

One of the cars at the table, a pink BMW convertible, smiled when she saw them coming over. "Hello cousin May. It's been a while."

"It certainly has, my dear cousin Anna," Aunt May replied, and the two female cars kissed on the cheeks. Lightning rolled his eyes again. Women!

Anna turned to the other two cars. "This is Mr George Speed, the team's crew chief, and Dr Mark Spanner, the team's doctor."

"It's nice to meet you," Aunt May said. She turned to Lightning. "This is my nephew, Lightning McQueen."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr McQueen," Mr Speed smiled.

"Lightning. 'Mr McQueen' is much too formal for a kid my age," Lightning said.

"My cousin, Anna, is the owner of Smell-Swell cosmetics," Aunt May explained to Lightning.

"Oh," Lightning said, smiling uncertainly. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to have his name associated with a cosmetic company. Then again, beggars couldn't be choosers, could they?

A waiter handed out menus. Wanting to impress his potential new sponsors, Lightning ordered some electrolyte fuel. He'd never tried it before, but he knew it was what racers ate.

After the waiter had taken their orders, Mr Speed turned to look at Lightning. "So, you want to be a racer, huh?"

"Very much," Lightning replied. "It's all I've ever dreamed of doing."

"Hmm… No offense, but you're a sports car; not a racer."

"I may not look fast, but I am," Lightning replied.

"What's your top speed?"

"Two hundred."

"I don't believe that!"

"I have Jaguar Syndrome," Lightning said, hoping that would explain everything. It did.

"Oh. I see! Well, I suppose we could give you a chance in the preliminary race series…"

"Really?" Lightning exclaimed with delight. Then, receiving a cold glare from Aunt May, he quickly settled back down.

"We'll have to do a lot of work on you first," Dr Spanner said, ignoring Lightning's reaction. "You'll need to have a lot of modifications done to turn you into a genuine race car, but if you do well for us, I'm sure it will be worth it."

Lightning shifted uncomfortably. He understood perfectly well what Dr Spanner was getting at – more surgery. He let out a small sigh. "When?"

"First of all, I'd like to see you out on a racetrack," Mr Speed said. "Then we'll get you to sign the contracts, and then Dr Spanner will get you ready to race. We should have you ready by the start of the racing season."

The waiter returned then with their food. Lightning cautiously took a sip of his electrolyte fuel. It wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be, which helped eased his nervousness.

"Look, you don't have to make a decision now," Anna told Lightning gently.

"Oh, I've made my decision," Lightning replied. "I want to race, and I'm prepared to endure everything I need to, to get there."

"Are you sure?" Aunt May asked him uncertainly.

"One hundred percent. You know I've always wanted to be a racer. This is my big chance."

"That's the spirit, kid," Mr Speed said. "By the way, you can call me George if you like."

"Sure…George…"

"Wow!" Lightning exclaimed just over two weeks later as he followed George onto the infield of the Long Island Speedway. "This place is awesome!"

George chuckled at the young soon-to-be race car's reaction. It was obvious that the kid had never been to many racetracks before. The Long Island Speedway was one of several racetracks around New York City that was no longer used for serious racing. They were just practice tracks, used mainly during the off-season. Sure enough, several race cars were racing around the track, practicing. Most were stock cars, but there were a couple of Indy cars and even a formula one car burning up some laps. George led Lightning over to the pits.

"Okay, kid. I want you to put in three laps. Since you don't have an intercom system yet, I need you to pay very close attention to what I'm saying now. Three laps. Use the first two as a warm up, and on the third lap, I want you to floor it. Go as fast as you can without spinning out, okay?"

"Got it," Lightning replied eagerly. "Three laps. Max the last one."

"And then return to the pits. Avoid all the other cars, and remember, I will be timing your final lap."

"Okay." Lightning revved his engine, and he headed to the end of pit row. A track official stopped him, so that the cars already out on the track could go past. Once the track was clear, the official nodded to Lightning, who took off with skidding tyres.

Lighting tore onto the track, constantly accelerating. Every now and again, he glanced down at his speedometer. A hundred and forty…a hundred and fifty…a hundred and sixty…

Once Lightning had reached a hundred and eighty, he settled into a rhythm. As he passed the pits, he glanced over at George. He was watching Lightning intently, but didn't give him any signals. Lightning continued at a hundred and eighty for another lap.

Finally, as Lightning approached the start/finish line to start his final lap, he accelerated up to two hundred miles per hour. An incredible rush of wind tore past him, making him grin excitedly. But then his grin disappeared when he realised that he was losing traction. He quickly applied his brakes and ducked sharply to the left to avoid colliding with the outside wall.

Bitterly disappointed, Lightning returned to the pits. He felt ready to burst into tears as he stopped in front of George. George was on his phone, talking to someone.

"…I'm telling you, this kid's got some serious speed! With the modifications, he could easily thrash the competition this year and be in the Piston Cup series by this time next year! All right. I'll bring him there now." George hung up the phone and he looked down at Lightning, grinning. "You're in, kid!"

"But…I didn't finish that final lap," Lightning pointed out, confused.

"It doesn't matter. Without the aid of a tailfin, you were never going to make the turns at that speed. I saw enough to get me excited about you. You've got heaps of potential, kid. Come along now. It's time for you to sign some contracts. Your aunt will have to sign them too, since you're underage."

A few weeks later, Lightning found himself inside a hospital again. He couldn't help pacing anxiously inside his hospital room. In just over an hour, he'd be undergoing cosmetic surgery to turn him into a proper race car. Dr Spanner had already written out a comprehensive list of all the things he was going to do to Lightning. Lightning went over the list again in his mind: intercom installation; a tailfin; removal of his headlights, taillights and rear-view mirrors; installation of a black box recorder and flaps in his roof; installation of a four-speed gear-box, and a larger fuel tank, along with a second fuel inlet valve… And those were just the major alterations! Lightning had been warned that he'd be in a lot of pain afterwards, and that was what was making him so nervous. That, and the fact that he'd stopped breathing during his last operation. This one was just so much…bigger. Dr Spanner had said that the operation could take as long as ten hours!

Lightning jumped and gasped as someone entered the room. It was Dr Spanner. Lightning reversed a little, and he shivered.

"You look worried," Dr Spanner observed.

"I am," Lightning whispered.

"You'll be fine," Dr Spanner assured him. "I've done this kind of surgery many times before, so you can trust me; I know what I'm doing."

"I don't doubt that," Lightning assured him. "But surgery is always a risk."

"So is racing. If you're not prepared to take risks, you shouldn't go through with this."

Lightning frowned thoughtfully. He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about how much he loved being out on the track and the feeling of pushing himself as hard as he could. He drew in a deep breath.

"All I've ever wanted to do is race. It's what I was built for. But you must understand. For my entire life, I've always been told not to push my engine or go fast. Now I'm being told that I can, and yet now I'm second-guessing myself. I know I can be a racer, but…"

"Ah! The old, 'what if' is it?"

Lightning nodded despondently. Dr Spanner drove closer to him.

"Everything you do in life is a risk, Lightning. You could just as easily be killed driving down the street as you could on the racetrack."

"Yeah, I know… Okay. Let's get this over with. I want to win a Piston Cup more than anything else in the world, and there's only one way I'm going to be able to do that, isn't there?"

"That's right. And don't worry, kid. You're in good tyres."

Fifteen hours later, Lightning slowly came around. It was night time, and his hospital room was almost completely dark. The few machines that were connected up to Lightning were quietly humming or beeping away.

Lightning tried to stretch out his wheels, but something was keeping him pinned down to his bed. It took him a few seconds to realise that his wheels had been clamped. Then it came. Lightning moaned as an intense, burning pain shot throughout his entire body. He closed his eyes tightly, fighting against the agony that radiated through him. Everything hurt! He moaned again, louder this time.

A nurse entered his room, switching on the lights. Lightning flinched as the brilliant bright light hit his eyes.

"Easy there, Lightning," the nurse soothed. "I've just come to check up on you. How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Lightning whispered. In his agony, he slammed his aching body into the side of the bed. Alarmed, the nurse pressed a buzzer before hurrying over to Lightning.

"Don't do that! You'll hurt yourself. Just calm down."

"He won't calm down," Dr Spanner said, as he dashed into the room. "He's a racer now. Calming down is going to be completely foreign to his nature."

"It always has been!" Lightning moaned. He gritted his teeth. "Can't you do something about the pain?" He threw himself against the other side of the bed.

Dr Spanner leapt into action. With the nurse's help, he filled a large, air-powered, metal syringe with a red coloured liquid. Then he came over to Lightning.

"Open up," he ordered.

Lightning was in too much pain to even consider why. As soon as he opened his mouth, Dr Spanner pushed the syringe as far back into lightning's mouth as he could. Without giving Lightning a chance to protest, he pulled the trigger. A jet of air shot the liquid medicine straight down Lightning's throat. Surprised, Lightning gasped, and Dr Spanner removed the syringe.

"There you go, young Lightning," he soothed. "You're an easy one. That should help with the pain."

Lightning breathed a sigh of relief. The pain medication must have been really potent, because it had already began working. He closed his eyes, hoping the peace of sleep would fall upon him again soon. It did, and Lightning fell into a quiet, relaxing sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 19

"It took me two whole months to recover from that operation," Lightning told Doc. "I was in so much pain and I took it out on everyone for weeks. Whenever I awoke, the terrible pain was back again, and the only way I could cope with it was by trying to hurt myself. Every time that happened, Dr Spanner or a nurse sedated me. In hindsight, I'm glad they clamped me down to that bed, otherwise I'm sure I would've gone mad. Anyway, I think you get the idea. When I finally recovered, I began racing in the Piston Cup Preliminary series. But I was too good for it, and by the end of the year, I'd been offered a sponsorship deal with Rust-Eze. You pretty much know what happened then. I got an agent, my ego went up and I became the cocky hotshot race car you knew when I first arrived here."

Doc let out a long, heavy sigh. "And during all that time, did you ever contact you aunt? Or your mother?"

"Aunt May, yes…" Lightning glanced down at the floor, and he scuffed his tyre uncomfortably.

"When did you last speak to your mother?"

Tears pricked Lightning's eyes, and his lower lip trembled. "Not since…that night… I haven't seen her since then either. I just…" Lightning shook his hood slowly as a tear slipped out. "It's just…too hard…"

Doc blinked slowly as he took in everything Lightning had just told him. There was a lot to piece together. "You said she was sentenced to ten years in prison?"

Lightning nodded. "In 1998."

"And your uncle?"

"He was sentenced to two years in prison for embezzling, and ordered to pay back all the money he stole from me, but he declared bankruptcy shortly after he was released from prison in 2005. I only got back about a hundred thousand dollars, because he'd cleverly put everything into his mistress' name. Aunt Susan is still married to him. She told me she'd rather stay married to an unfaithful husband than be divorced. I can't say I agree with her."

Doc nodded slowly. "I see. So…your mother is due to be released from prison next year, right?"

"I guess so," Lightning shifted his tyres uncomfortably. "Aunt May mentioned something about her getting six months off her sentence for good behaviour the last time I spoke to her, but I didn't really listen."

Doc studied Lightning intently. "I wonder why your mother was convicted, considering the evidence you gave."

Lightning shrugged. Doc sighed.

"Lightning? Do you mind if Sally and I investigate this more? Something just doesn't add up."

"Um…" Lightning gulped. He didn't really want Sally to get involved in his personal affairs. But then again, maybe she and Doc could help clear his mother's name. "Yeah. Sure. I don't mind." He set his face determinedly. "I know she's innocent, but she wouldn't have been able to give her alibi in court."

"Why not?"

"Because she was visiting a senile old lady car in the Daimler building at the time dad was killed. She never wanted anyone to know about it, but she never told my why. The old lady is dead now."

"Okay, kid. It's getting late. Why don't you go and get something to drink. I'll let you know when we have any news."

"Okay," Lightning said, turning to leave. He paused in the doorway. "Doc?"

The older car looked up at his protégé.

"Thank you for listening."

Doc shook his hood. "Thank you for opening up to me. Oh, and don't forget to ask Ramone for a respray over the side you damaged last night."

Smiling slightly, Lightning left. Doc waited for a few minutes, thinking things over. He then left his clinic and he went to find Sally. She was over at the Cozy Cone Motel, inside her office. Doc knocked softly on the door.

"Oh, hi Doc," Sally greeted him.

"Have you had any luck finding Lightning's family?"

"Not really. I found a few things on his uncle, Peter Piston, and something about his father making a fortune on the stock market."

"Forget about it," Doc said. "Lightning's just told me everything, and he said he's happy for you to help."

Doc then told Sally, briefly, what Lightning had just told him about his childhood. Sally's eyes widened in horror when he told her about the murder of Lightning father, and the imprisonment of his mother.

"Poor Stickers!" Sally exclaimed once Doc had finished. "He's been through so much in his young life."

"I know. Now I can understand why he was such a jerk when he first arrived here. He was a spoilt brat who'd always had everything a car could ever want, including a loving family. Then, all of that was suddenly taken from him. The only way he could deal with that was by cutting off everyone who'd been involved in that, including his mother. He still loves her; I can tell that, but he's afraid of having anything to do with her, because he doesn't want to get hurt again."

"That makes sense," Sally said sadly. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"Use your lawyer's intuition, and look up the cases 'The State vs McQueen' and 'McQueen vs Piston'. I want to know every detail on each case."

"Okay," Sally agreed, turning back to her computer. Doc left her to her work.

A few hours later, Sally knocked on the door of Doc's office.

"Come in," Doc said, and Sally did so.

"I've got all the information you wanted. About Stickers."

"Good. Show me."

Sally opened up a couple of files, facing them towards Doc. "The case of 'McQueen vs Piston' was pretty straightforward. Stickers won of course, since his case was a strong one. But the case of 'The State vs McQueen' was very confusing right from the start. It seems that Lightning's evidence wasn't permitted because Lightning had just come out of hospital, and because he was in shock at the time he was interviewed by the police. Basically, his evidence was considered unreliable. Plus, they suspected that the after-effects of the anaesthetic and sedatives from his surgery might have affected his memory."

Doc shook his hood. "That wouldn't have happened today."

"It shouldn't have happened back then either. But Mr McQueen was a very high-profile figure in the business world, and so many people were demanding answers to explain his death. Someone had to be blamed, quickly, and all the evidence was against Mrs McQueen."

"What was her alibi?"

"She refused to say. But security footage from that night showed that she never left the building."

"Then what Lightning said must have been true. He said she was visiting a senile old lady who also lived in the apartment building. I have my suspicions about who it might be… Anyway, Lightning swore that the car he saw was dark blue. What colour is Mrs McQueen?"

"Dark blue. The whole McQueen family, except Lightning, are dark blue."

Doc let out a long sigh. "What about the weapon?"

"It was never found."

"Oh." Doc felt deflated. "When is Mrs McQueen due for release?"

Sally glanced through the files. "She was given ten months off her sentence for good behaviour, so she's actually due for release…next week."

"Great!" Doc said, brightening. "Which prison is she being held in?"

"The Eastern New York Correctional Facility."

"Okay. Where's Lightning?"

"Last I saw, he was coming out of Ramone's and heading towards Willy's Butte."

"Huh," Doc grunted.

He and Sally drove out of town, and they headed towards the butte. Sure enough, Lightning was racing around the dirt racetrack, seemingly lost in thought. Doc put on his headset.

"Kid?" When Lightning didn't respond, he said loudly, "Rookie!"

"What?" Lightning snapped.

"Come over here a minute."

Reluctantly, Lightning slowed down, and he drove over to Sally and Doc, skidding to a stop in front of them. "Sup?"

Doc quickly filled Lightning in on what Sally had uncovered. Lightning stared glumly down at the ground the whole time he was talking.

"Why don't you call your Aunt May?" Sally suggested once Doc had finished explaining the situation.

Lightning hesitated, clearly unsure of whether he should or not.

"Don't you want to see your mother again?" Doc asked.

"Of course! It's just that… It's been so long since I last saw her…"

"I know," Doc said sympathetically. "But you don't want to lose her twice."

Sighing, Lightning began to drive slowly towards town. Out of nowhere, a mob of reporters surrounded him with cameras and microphones.

"Hey, McQueen! Are you all set for your second year of racing in the Piston Cup?"

"How do you think you'll go this year?"

"Why didn't you take the Dinoco sponsorship?"

The last question made Lightning stop abruptly. But before he could say anything, Doc sounded his horn loudly.

"What have I told you guys? McQueen is NOT to be mobbed when he's here in Radiator Springs! This is the one place in the world where he even has a chance to relax and live a 'normal' life, so save it for when he gets to the racetrack." And he revved his engine menacingly. The reporters sheepishly dispersed. Doc drove up beside Lightning. "Come on, kid. Let's go phone your aunt."


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 20

Four days later, a Boeing 747 landed at JFK airport. Cars inside the airport were pleasantly surprised to see Lightning, Doc and Sally drive through the airport towards the exit.

"Hey! It's Lightning McQueen!" someone shouted.

"What's he doing here in New York?" someone else asked as they hurried over.

"I wish we could've driven here instead, and brought Mack," Lightning sighed as he was promptly mobbed by heaps of excited fans all wanting his autograph.

"That would've been too conspicuous," Doc said.

"And you think this isn't?" Lightning retorted, gesturing to himself.

Doc chuckled.

"Sorry, guys, but I'm kinda busy," Lightning told his fans, many of whom were busy snapping pictures of him on their mobile phones or Skypads. "I have an appointment to get to."

It wasn't exactly a lie, but he didn't want anyone, except for those closest to him, to know the real reason why he was in New York City. Unfortunately for him, the fans didn't care, and they only increased. Sally began dialling on her mobile phone.

"Who are you calling?" Lightning asked.

"Airport security," Sally replied.

Moments after she made the call, JFK security cars pushed their way through the crowd with their lights flashing. They surrounded Lightning, Doc and Sally, clearing a path for them.

"Lightning!" someone suddenly screamed excitedly.

Lightning knew that voice. "Aunt May!" he exclaimed and he drove forward to meet her.

Seeing that Lightning knew her, the security officers let her through. She embraced Lightning tightly, smothering him in kisses.

"Urgh!" Lightning gasped. "Sally, help! Please!"

Doc and Sally just laughed as Aunt May continued embracing Lightning affectionately. Finally she stopped and backed away, gasping for air. Lightning remained prostrate on his chassis, with his eyes tightly closed.

"Is it over?" he asked cautiously.

"I think so, Stickers," Sally chuckled.

Opening his eyes, Lightning slowly got back up onto his wheels, shaking himself like a puppy. "Honestly, I'd rather deal with a million screaming fans over one enthusiastic relative any day!"

The crowd laughed at that. Aunt May kissed Lightning's cheek gently.

"Sorry to swamp you with kisses, Lightning. It's just that, I haven't seen you in person for more than a year now. Except on TV of course, but you can't really count that. You can't blame me for getting a little bit emotional here. After all, you are my favourite nephew."

"I'm your only nephew, so far as I can recall," Lightning grinned with a wink. He took out his mobile phone and he dialled a number. "Excuse me a minute. Hello, Tex?"

"Lightnin'! What can I do for ya?"

"I need to call in favour, please?"

"For you, Lightnin', anything."

"I'm kinda in a tricky situation at the moment. You see, I've just arrived in New York City to take care of some personal matters, and I've just been swamped by fans. The airport security's holding them back at the moment, but it's going to be a nightmare once we leave the airport. Could you spare some reinforcements, please?"

"Sure thing, kid! They'll be there in twenty."

"Thanks Tex. I owe you one."

"No, you don't owe me anythin'! Stay safe."

"I will," Lightning smiled. "Thanks a million, Tex! Bye." Lightning hung up his phone, and he turned to face Aunt May, Doc and Sally. "A Dinoco security team will be here in about fifteen minutes."

"Dinoco?" Aunt May gasped. "How on earth did you manage that?"

"Friends in high places," Lightning shrugged. "No biggie."

Half an hour later, Lightning, Doc, Sally and Aunt May were being escorted by a Dinoco security team through the streets of New York City. Sally stared up at all the skyscrapers in awe.

"Wow! I've never been to New York before! These buildings are so tall! It's nothing like LA."

"I know," Lightning grinned. "But the view from the top of them is nowhere near as beautiful as the view from the Wheel Well." _Or the view I get when I'm driving behind you_, he almost added, but he decided to keep that thought to himself. His tank suddenly lurched when he saw the Daimler building emerging from amongst the other buildings. His mouth also went dry, and so he licked his lips nervously.

Doc noticed how nervous Lightning had suddenly become, so he moved up alongside him. "It'll be okay, kid. We're all here for you."

"Thanks Doc," Lightning whispered. "I just wish Mater could've come with us."

"Don't bring that up again!" Doc groaned, rolling his eyes. "You know we're heading straight down to Daytona for your first race after we've settled things here. We can't afford to have any distractions, and Mater's the biggest distraction of them all!"

Lightning was surprised. "Doc!"

"Well, I guess I had to say it someday."

Minutes later, they arrived outside the Daimler Building. Taking a deep breath, Lightning followed everyone else inside. Nothing had changed. The fancy foyer sparkled with crystal, gold and marble. Sally's jaw dropped in awe as she stared up at the glowing chandelier above them – the same chandelier Lightning had admired as a child. Seeing her reaction, Lightning chuckled.

"Good afternoon, Miss McQueen," a forklift concierge smiled in greeting as he addressed Aunt May. Then he froze when he saw Lightning surrounded by Dinoco security. "Light- M-Mr McQueen!"

"Hey," Lightning smiled warmly. The poor concierge promptly collapsed onto his side in a cold faint! Lightning sighed and he rolled his eyes. "I have that effect sometimes," he shrugged to Aunt May.

"Let's get upstairs," Aunt May invited, as the lift doors opened.

Lightning turned to his Dinoco security. "You may go now, and thank you. I'll call Tex if I need you again."

Smiling and nodding, the Dinoco security detail left as Lightning, Doc, Sally and Aunt May entered the lift. Aunt May unlocked the button for the penthouse and she pressed it.

Just over a minute later, the lift reached the penthouse apartment. Taking a deep breath, Lightning followed everyone into the foyer, refusing to look towards the lounge room.

"Wow!" Sally exclaimed, looking around in awe. She turned to face Lightning. "I can't believe you really grew up here!"

"I can," Doc mumbled. Lightning glared at him.

Mr Hood joined them in the foyer. He glanced over at Lightning. "So… You're back again, huh?"

"What did I ever do to you, Hood, to make you dislike me?" Lightning snapped.

"Well, aside from the dart in my tyre, chasing you around at all hours of the night when Gracie had the night off, and the incident with the spilled oil on the kitchen floor, I still haven't been able to think of a better comeback for the time you put superglue on my toothbrush."

Lightning cringed as everyone stared at him in amazement. Lightning tried to think of something to say, but for once, he was completely speechless!

"You didn't tell us about that!" Sally admonished playfully.

"Lightning!" a familiar voice screamed, and once again, Lightning found himself being kissed to within an inch of his life!

"Oh! Gracie! What on earth are you doing here?" Lightning gasped.

Gracie paused in the middle of a kiss. "I've come to see you, of course! My! You've grown! I can still remember the day your parents brought you home from the factory. You were no bigger than my hub caps, but as soon as I saw your sapphire blue eyes, I knew you'd grow into a very handsome car. And I was right! Look at you now! You're a famous racer with the world at your feet!"

Lightning grinned sheepishly. "Uh-huh… Um, do you mind if I go to my room? I'm kinda tired."

"Go ahead," Aunt May smiled. "I've left it exactly as you left it last time."

"Does that include the broken lamp?" Lightning teased. His aunt just swatted him playfully.

"Get, cheeky!"

Chuckling and shaking his hood, Lightning headed down the hallway towards his bedroom. Sure enough, it was exactly the same as he'd left it. Closing the door softly behind him, Lightning moved slowly over to the window, and he gazed out over the sprawling city. Unlike Radiator Springs, New York City hadn't changed a bit.

A few hours later, someone knocked softly on the door of Lightning's bedroom.

"Stickers? It's time for dinner."

Lightning slowly opened the door. He looked half asleep. A yawn confirmed that he had been sleeping.

"I'm not really hungry, Sally," he whispered.

Sally glared sternly at him, and she pointed towards the dining room with her tyre. "Now!"

Knowing better than to disobey Sally, Lightning reluctantly left his room. In the dining room, Aunt May and Doc were already at the table, with Mr Hood standing off to the side, waiting to serve the dinner. Doc raised an eyebrow when he saw Lightning's tired expression.

"Been sleeping?" he asked.

"Trying to," Lightning sighed.

"I see. In that case, I want to be in bed by nine o'clock tonight. Your aunt says there's an old racetrack near here, so set your alarm for five-thirty."

Lightning groaned in disbelief. "Makes a six a.m. wakeup seem like a sleep in!"

Doc and Sally chuckled. Mr Hood began serving out the dinner.

"No Premium Octane for Lightning," Doc told Mr Hood firmly. "It's illegal for him."

"Always thinking about racing, aren't you?" Aunt May sighed.

Lightning shrugged. "That's what they pay me for."

"Do you mind if I ask how much you're earning now?"

Lightning exchanged glances with Doc. He also shrugged.

"Overall, or just me personally?" Lightning asked.

"Both."

"Well, overall, since the tie-breaker race last year, I'm pulling in about a hundred and twenty…"

"Thousand?"

"Million," Lightning whispered sheepishly, making Aunt May gasp in shock. "But it's split up amongst the team and my sponsors. I personally earned about thirty-five million last year during my rookie season. Add onto that the ten million I earned during my preliminary the year before, and I think I've earned about fifty million. Most of that comes from the sales of merchandise and various other things I don't even know or care about. Rusty and Dusty are talking about possibly creating a video game, but it's going to take at least a year to develop."

"So, in just two years of racing, you've pretty much recouped the fortune Peter stole from you?"

"Yeah, I guess," Lightning replied with a small smile. "But it was never about the money, and it still isn't. I just love racing for the thrill of it! I could do without the early mornings though!"

Everyone, except Mr Hood, laughed at that.

"Can I ask you a question, Doc?" Aunt May asked.

"Sure."

"Why do you get Lightning up at the crack of dawn to practice? It seems a bit cruel to me."

"It's the coolest time of the day, so there's almost no chance of him overheating," Doc explained. "Plus, getting him racing on a near-empty tank makes his appetite sharper."

Embarrassed, Lightning tried to hide under the table. That made the others laugh even harder.

"That's it! If you're set on embarrassing me, I'm going to bed!" Lightning exclaimed. "Goodnight everyone."

They all bid him goodnight, and Lightning headed down the hallway towards his room.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 21

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Groaning with annoyance, Lightning slammed his wheel down on top of the alarm clock. Then he settled back down to hopefully sneak in an extra five minutes of sleep. He didn't have much luck. Less than thirty seconds after the alarm had gone off, Doc was banging on the bedroom door.

"Get yourself up, kid!" Doc growled.

Lightning groaned again. He could tell from that tone that Doc wasn't in the mood for games or excuses this morning. Doc banged on the door again.

"All right! All right!" Lightning snapped. "I'm awake," he added with a yawn. He stretched a bit before leaving his room. Doc was waiting in the foyer with Aunt May, who'd decided to come along to watch Lightning's training session.

"You actually got him up before noon?" Aunt May asked Doc with surprise.

Doc just smirked, making Lightning cringe. He knew what that look meant. It meant Doc had a hard training session in store for him.

Sure enough, he did. As soon as Lightning's tyres hit the racetrack's asphalt, Doc started the training session.

"Do two warm up laps, and then I want you to floor it," Doc instructed as he mounted a crew chief stand.

"But Doc…! It's still dark!" Lightning pointed out. "I won't be able to see out there."

Frowning, Doc flicked a switch. The floodlights instantly came on. "Got any more excuses?" he growled.

"Uhh…no…" Lightning replied. Spinning half a doughnut, Lightning headed out onto the track.

"Floor it, kid!" Doc shouted over the radio a little later. Lightning was now racing around the track, but he clearly wasn't giving his best effort.

Doc glanced down at the computer in from of him, reading Lightning's statistics. Aunt May strained to see the computer too, so Doc moved over a bit for her. He momentarily switched off his radio.

"What does all that mean?" Aunt May said, asking the question Doc knew was coming.

"This computer system can tell me exactly how Lightning's running," Doc explained. "You see, he has a tiny computer connected to his engine and other systems which sends a wireless signal back to this computer, so I can see exactly what's going on inside of him at any given moment. This dial here is his speed, and…" Doc paused so he could switch his radio back on. "You're slacking off, kid! Redline it!"

"Doc, this is supposed to be practice, not qualifying!" Lightning snapped back.

"And you wonder why three crew chiefs left you last year?" Doc growled.

Scowling, Lightning accelerated. Doc and Aunt May watched the dial on the computer screen. The red needle slowly climbed up to 180mph.

"Take it to a hundred and ninety," Doc instructed. He watched the needle climb up to 190mph. "Good! Now stay at that speed for ten laps. I'll add on an extra five laps every time you drop under one-ninety."

Lightning's groan was clearly audible to Aunt May. Doc switched off his radio.

"Aren't you pushing him too hard?" Aunt May asked with concern.

"Nope. If anything, I'm not pushing him hard enough. His first race is just two weeks away. If he's not fit for it, he won't race well. Anyway, where were we? Okay, so that's the speedometer. This dial here is his RPM. I'm glad to see he's in the red on that. It means he's trying hard. This dial is his torque. This one's his engine temperature. This one is tyre pressure. This one is for fuel and oil. And this panel lets me know if and where he's sustained any damage."

"It looks very complicated," Aunt May mused.

"This one's just for practices," Doc replied. "You should see the one we use on race day."

Aunt May's eyes widened in surprise. Doc turned his radio back on, and he returned his attention to Lightning.

Fifteen minutes later, Doc called an end to the training session. Lightning pulled gratefully into pit row, panting heavily. He stopped in front of Doc, who was just getting down from the crew chief's stand. Doc frowned with concern.

"You did five warm down laps," he pointed out. "Why are you still winded?"

"I don't know," Lightning whispered wearily. "Guess it's the smog. I'm not used to training in a city."

Doc continued frowning. He wasn't too sure about that. From his experience as a doctor, he could sense that there was something a little bit, well…off with the kid. He made a mental note to keep a close eye on Lightning. They packed everything up, and headed back to the Daimler building.

About half an hour later, Lightning, Doc and Aunt May arrived back at the penthouse to find Sally and Gracie already having breakfast. They joined them at the table.

"How did training go?" Sally asked Lightning.

"Good," he replied casually, earning a frown from Doc. He quickly looked down at the table and sipped on a can of hot oil.

"Mrs McQueen is being released at nine o'clock," Sally told Doc. "We'd better hurry up so we can be there when she's released."

"Most of the family is meeting here to celebrate her release," Aunt May added. "They're arriving at nine-thirty."

"I think Lightning should stay here," Doc said. "After all, someone other than the servants should be here to receive the rest of the family."

Aunt May nodded slowly and Lightning shrugged.

"I don't care what I do," he murmured. Just then, his mobile phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, kid!" Harv's voice rang out so loudly, everyone else could hear it. "Whatcha doin' in New York?"

"I'm just visiting my family."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Harv, but you're my _racing_ agent. What I get up to in my limited spare time is none of your business."

"You're missing the point here, kid. If I'd known, I could've got you on the _Today America _show, or a photo shoot with _Sports Cars Illustrated_. Ya really need to get in on the publicity, kid-."

"Harv! Stop it! My public image is your problem. Right now, I have some personal issues to sort out with my family, and I emphasis the word PERSONAL. I don't want the press following my family around everywhere the way they do with me. It's not fair on them, so I'm trusting you to keep this to yourself."

"Bu-but, Lightning!" Harv whined.

"Harv! I can't deal with this right now! Please, leave me alone. I'll phone you when I'm ready to talk." Lightning hung up before Harv had a chance to reply.

"And that, kid, is the fastest way to lose an agent," Doc said.

Lightning shrugged. "It'd be worth it. He's not that good anyway."

"Then why do you keep him as your agent?" Aunt May wondered.

"He was part of my contract with Rust-Eze."

"Oh."

"We'd better go now if we're going to get to the prison in time for Mrs McQueen's release," Sally said.

"You're right," Aunt May agreed. She, Doc and Sally headed towards the foyer. Sally turned back to face Lightning.

"Will you be okay?"

"Yeah. Sure."

Sally didn't look like she believed him, but Doc gave her a gentle nudge.

"Let's go, Sally."

Sally reluctantly followed Doc and Aunt May to the lift. Lightning watched until the doors closed on them. Gracie joined him, and she pushed a can of oil in front of him.

"You didn't finish your breakfast."

"I'm not hungry," Lightning sighed, and he headed off towards his room.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 22

Before long, Lightning's extended family began to arrive at the penthouse. He barely even remembered half of them, so Gracie helped him out by explaining how they were related. One car did not need to be introduced.

"Lightning," Uncle Peter said coolly as he and Aunt Susan emerged from the lift. Caught off-guard, Lightning didn't know what to say. Seeing that Lightning was completely speechless, Aunt Susan gave him a small, reassuring smile.

Before Lightning had a chance to compose himself, the lift doors opened again. This time, Doc, Sally, Aunt May and Mrs Elinor McQueen emerged. Lightning froze, staring at his mother awkwardly. He could feel everyone's eyes on him as she moved slowly towards him. She looked tired, but happy.

"Hello, sweetie," she said softly, greeting Lightning.

Lightning gulped nervously. "Hi, mum," he forced out; his voice unusually high. Mrs McQueen nudged him gently.

"I really missed you."

"Really?"

"Of course! I watched every single one of your races, even in prison. I'm so proud of you!"

For once, Lighting had no idea what to say. But he was touched by his mother's kind words. He quickly blinked back some tears as Sally nudged his fender.

"Sally tells me that you're dating," Mrs McQueen continued.

Not trusting his voice, Lightning merely nodded in response. Aunt May finally came to his rescue.

"We have some food for you, Elinor," she said. "As in, _real _food! Not that prison garbage you've been living off."

Everyone laughed, and they began to move into the lounge room. Lightning turned away from Sally.

"You okay, Stickers?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah. I just…I can't go in there again."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Would you like me to bring you something?"

"No thanks. Can you give me a few minutes alone, please?"

Nodding, Sally gave him a small kiss. Then she joined the others in the lounge. Sighed deeply, Lightning headed into the bathroom. His engine was feeling a bit hotter than usual, but he didn't think too much about it. Pausing at the sink, he splashed some water over his hood with his tyre.

_And some people think that rich kids don't have problems,_ he thought sadly.

Someone else entered the bathroom. Glancing up into the mirror, Lightning gasped when he saw that it was Uncle Peter. He spun around to face him.

"What do you want?"

"What do you think I want?" Uncle Peter snapped, locking the door. "I've come to do something I should've done ten years ago!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"You! You've ruined my entire life since the day you were built! But then again, you're too naïve to know what I'm talking about, aren't you?"

"Would you just let me out, please?"

Uncle Peter continued to block the doorway. "Haven't you ever wondered why you were built with 'Jaguar Syndrome'?"

"It was a mistake! A computer error!"

"Officially, yes. Let me explain things from the beginning…"

Sensing that Uncle Peter was about to spill a big secret, Lightning subtly switched on his radio, which in turn activated his black box recorder. The recorder was usually used as evidence by racing officials whenever there was an altercation of the racetrack. So far, Lightning had never needed it, but now seemed like the perfect opportunity to use it to its full advantage. He listened quietly as Uncle Peter continued.

"You see, as I'm sure you're aware by now, I've been living a double life. I've been cheating on your aunt since long before you were built. I only married her to get at your father's wealth when he died. As next of kin, I was going to inherit the bulk of his fortune. But then, he made the unfortunate decision to have a child. Of course he wanted a son – one who would eventually take over his little empire. But since the computer at the factory choses the gender at random, I had to do something to ensure you wouldn't be the desired heir he dreamed of having. Yes, I hacked into the factory's computer system and I made it give you 'Jaguar Syndrome'. It wasn't hard, since it's in your family line. I also managed to make the computer mould your body into a shape nobody had ever seen before. I thought that might just be enough to make your parents reject you, but when they didn't I realised I had to do something else."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because it's about time you knew! And don't interrupt! I hoped that something might happen to you during one of your surgeries, but when it didn't I started to get desperate. My mistress was in debt up to her roof, and I only needed a few million to save her from prosecution and my whole affair being exposed, so the day you returned home from hospital I decided to confront your father about it. It was pure chance that he'd given the staff the night off, and that your mother had decided to visit the old senile car on the floor below us, so that gave me the perfect opportunity. I decided that if he wouldn't hand over the money, I'd kill him. So that's what I did."

Lightning's eyes grew wide as the realisation dawned on him. "YOU killed my father? Why? What did you hope to gain from it?"

"As the next in line to the McQueen Estate after you, I figured it'd be easier to kill him, blame it on your mother, and take you in. That way, I'd look like the good guy, and nobody would ever suspect that I'd really be taking your inheritance behind your bumper."

Lightning gasped in shock as everything fell into place. "And you're telling me this now? Why?"

"Simple. Now that you have your own fortune from racing, I'm kinda going to need it. I checked with your lawyer, and I found out that you've been stupid enough not to write out a will, so that just makes my next task that much easier…"

At that moment, Uncle Peter produced a small pistol from his front right hubcap. Years of instinct and adrenalin instantly took over Lightning, and he ducked sharply out of the way before Uncle Peter could get a good enough aim. He fired accidentally, and the bullet bounced off the marble tiled wall, ricocheting into the overhead chandelier. Both cars glanced up for a second as the chandelier tinkled, but then they ducked as a shower of cut-glass crystal rained down upon them. Uncle Peter coped the worst of it, and he yelped in pain. Seeing his opportunity, Lightning revved his engine and he accelerated as hard and as fast as he could in the confined space, slamming himself directly into Uncle Peter's side. The hubcap with the attached pistol was knocked onto the floor, and it went skidding across the tiles.

By now, everyone in the lounge room had heard the commotion, as well as the gunshot. They were just about to head over to the bathroom to find out what was going on, when the door was suddenly broken off its hinges. There was a screech of tyres, and then Uncle Peter emerged, being pushed sideways by Lightning. Lightning's tyres were smoking, and his eyes were fixed in the same, aggressive focus he had whenever he was really racing hard. He slammed Uncle Peter hard into the opposite wall, leaving another dent in his already badly damaged body.

"Stickers!" Sally gasped. "Stop!"

But Lightning didn't seem to hear her. He just continued pushing Uncle Peter, as though he was trying to crush the life out of him. Doc also tried to get Lightning's attention, but he also failed.

"Let me try," Mrs McQueen suggested. Moving closer to the two cars, she said very gently, "Lightning?"

The sound of his mother's voice had an instant effect on Lightning, and he hesitated for a moment.

"That's enough now. Leave Uncle Peter alone."

Lightning shook his hood a little. "I…can't…" His voice was barely audible.

Mrs McQueen moved closer to him, and she gently nudged his fender. "Yes, you can. Please, stop, before you kill him."

"It's no less than what he deserves!" Lightning growled with a renewed rage, and he revved his engine again.

"Lightning, please, stop!" Sally begged. "I don't want to see you get hurt!"

"Then let me finish this!" Lightning snapped.

"No!"

"The police are on their way," Aunt May announced. That was enough to make Lightning hesitate again, and he backed off a little. Seeing his opportunity, Doc suddenly rammed himself into Lightning, pushing the kid out of the way. Stunned by Doc's push, Lightning froze where he'd stopped, further down the hallway. Doc began to examine the injured car.

A few minutes later, police and paramedics began storming the penthouse. In his mind's eyes, Lightning had a flashback to the day his father was killed – by the very car they were trying to save now. He hadn't moved since Doc had pushed him off Uncle Peter. He couldn't move. He felt frozen – trapped in time between two scenes ten years apart.

Finally, a paramedic approached Lightning. "Are you okay? You're shaking like a leaf!"

Lightning couldn't answer her. Instead, his eyelids fluttered closed as he finally passed out…

**Please feel free to review. I'd greatly appreciate feedback. **


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 23

"No, Harv, you can't speak to Lightning!" Doc growled into the phone. "He's still out of it. He's in shock, so we decided to sedate him. He's going to be asleep for at least another couple of hours."

"Listen, Doctor Hornet, you don't seem to understand," Harv said over the phone, almost begging. "I NEED to speak to Lightning! The media's going berserk! I'm getting phone calls left right and centre from cars I don't even know, all asking me if Lightning's still even alive! I must speak to him!"

Doc growled with annoyance. "Just release this press statement and quote me. 'Lightning McQueen was the victim of an altercation at his family home in Manhattan earlier this morning. The perpetrator was related to him, but for legal reasons we cannot disclosed any names. Lightning McQueen sustained minor injuries during the altercation, but they should heal up within a week. Most were glass cuts resulting from a falling chandelier. Lightning McQueen has since been sedated, and nobody, other than his family, close friends and the medical team looking after him is allowed to visit or speak to him. Even the police have been banned from speaking to him. This is a very distressing time for the McQueen family, and they ask the media to please respect their privacy and give them some space.' There? Does that satisfy you?"

"I'm guessing that snazzy Porsche Lightning's dating helped you out with that one," Harv sneered.

Doc slammed the phone down. "I'm gonna talk to the kid about replacing you as soon as he comes around!" Glancing out of the window, Doc saw a news helicopter hovering around outside, aiming a camera directly into the penthouse. Furious, he drew the curtains closed. Then he picked up the phone again, and he rang the police.

Meanwhile, inside Lightning's bedroom, he was fast asleep with his mother and Sally gathered around near him. Sally nuzzled his fender gently.

"He's been sedated, Sally," Mrs McQueen reminded her.

"I know. But I want him to know that he's not alone."

"I wish we knew why he attacked Peter," Mrs McQueen sighed.

"Did you know that Peter stole Lightning's inheritance?"

"Yes, but that's still no reason for him to attack Peter the way he did. I didn't think Lightning had it in him to be that violent!"

"He's learned a lot on the racetrack."

Mrs McQueen scoffed. "I still don't approve of his career choice. He could be killed! Don't you ever worry about that?"

"Yes. But we can't stop him from doing what he loves. He lives for the thrill of racing and winning. Secretly, I think it would kill him if he could no longer do it. The important thing is, he's living every single day to the fullest."

"Somehow, I don't find that at all comforting, dear."

Lightning groaned then. Sally glanced at him in concern.

"He shouldn't be waking up yet!"

"He's a racer," Doc said, entering the room. "Because of that, his first instinct is to fight against anything that's supposed to calm him down. I'm actually surprised he didn't start fighting the sedative sooner. I'll give him a bit more. He needs to rest before the police speak to him."

"Black…box…" Lightning managed to whisper. "Evidence…"

Doc paused when he heard that. Then he parked in front of Lightning. "Say that again, kid."

"My black box…" Lightning said, a little stronger as he continued to fight off the sedative. "Uncle Peter…shot at me…confessed everything…"

Doc's eyes widened as he realised what Lightning was saying. "I'll take care of it, kid. For now, you just need to rest." Doc picked up a syringe, and he filled it with 5 mils of sedative. He glanced over at Sally and Mrs McQueen. "If he has any more, he's going to have enough sedative in him to knock out a small truck! If he fights this, I'm going to have to call in an anaesthetist, I'm afraid."

Doc slowly injected the sedative into Lightning's fuel tank.

"Please, don't fight it, sweetie," Mrs McQueen soothed. "Just go to sleep and don't worry about anything. We'll be right here when you wake up."

With a heavy sigh, Lightning sank right down onto his tyres. A moment later, he was out cold again. When he was sure Lightning was fast asleep, Doc undid the clips on Lightning's hood, and he opened it. Mrs McQueen's eyes widened a little. She'd never seen Lightning's modified engine bay before, and so she couldn't help but be a little curious by it.

"Wow!" she whispered. "So that's what a modified racing engine looks like."

"Seven-hundred and fifty horsepower there," Doc said as he looked around the engine bay. "Despite the modifications, he still has the exact same engine he was built with."

"Oh. What does that box there do?"

"That's his computer system. Now, where's that black box?"

"What's a black box?" Mrs McQueen asked.

"It's a device that records conversations and data during a race," Sally explained. "It's a smaller version of the ones used in aeroplanes. They can be used as evidence during a protest."

"Lightning's never had his removed since it was installed," Doc added, "which is why I'm having a hard time finding it. The doctor who modified him obviously hid it well to help protect it. Ahh! There it is! Good place for it too."

Reaching for his tools, Doc set to work removing Lightning's black box. Hearing it still ticking over and recording, he manually switched off Lightning's radio.

"It was still recording," he said as he carefully removed it and set it down on a nearby table. "Can you phone the police please, Sally? Tell them we have some new evidence."

Nodding, Sally left the room. Doc tied off the electrical circuits in Lightning's engine bay, and then he closed his hood.

"Let's leave him to rest now," he told Mrs McQueen. "He'll be okay now."

Picking up the black box, Doc and Mrs McQueen left Lightning's bedroom.

_"…__Now that you have your own fortune from racing, I'm kinda going to need it. I checked with your lawyer, and I found out that you've been stupid enough not to write out a will, so that just makes my next task that much easier… Click! Bang!"_

The police inspector drew in a sharp breath as he stopped the recording. Doc and Sally slowly removed their headphones, and they also exhaled. Sally looked especially distressed.

"How did Lightning manage to escape being shot?" she wondered aloud.

"I don't know," the inspector muttered. "But I intend to find out. I need to speak to McQueen as soon as possible, while it's still fresh in his mind."

Doc hesitated. "Surely, you have more than enough evidence on that recording to arrest Mr Piston?"

The inspector frowned. "He's in police custody in the hospital as we speak…"

Sally glared at the inspector. "That's not good enough! He's admitted to murder, attempted murder and perjury! Surely, that's more than enough to have him executed, or at least locked away for life?"

The police inspector removed the tape without answering Sally. He carefully placed it inside an evidence bag. "Mr Piston is in surgery right now. If he survives, I'll officially press charges then. After that, it's in the wheels of the judicial system."

Seeing that that was all that could be done, Doc and Sally nodded slowly. The inspector handed Lightning's empty black box over to Doc.

"You'd better make sure he gets a new tape installed before his first race."

"I will," Doc muttered.

"Now, will you let me speak with Mr McQueen, please? If we leave the questioning too long, he might forget something."

With a reluctant sigh, Doc agreed.

A heavy fog had descended around Lightning. He could hear cars talking, but he couldn't concentrate hard enough to understand what they were saying. Then he heard Doc's voice quite close to him.

"I'll give him a reverser," he said.

Lightning flinched as a cold liquid was poured into his fuel tank. Then he started to wake up, but he didn't really want to. He fought to remain asleep, until he felt someone nudging up against his fender. Opening his eyes, he saw Sally looking at him anxiously. Then he realised that they weren't alone. Doc, his mother, Aunt May, Gracie, Mr Hood and two complete strangers were also inside his bedroom.

"What?" he asked, annoyed at having been woken up.

"Mr McQueen?" one of the strangers said as he moved forwards a little. "I just want to ask you a few questions about what happened this morning…" He paused when he saw Lightning glaring at him. "Er…that is…if you're ready to talk, that is…"

A sick feeling rose up in Lightning's tank. He glanced at Doc. "Didn't the tape work?"

"It worked fine," Doc shrugged.

"Then…why…?"

"I just need to know how he managed to miss shooting you, when you were obviously at point-blank range," the inspector said.

"You wanna know how he missed?" Lightning exclaimed, his voice growling with rage. "I'll tell you how he missed! I moved out of the way, okay? In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty darn quick!"

"Faster than a bullet?" Sally gently challenged.

"Well…" Lightning shifted his tyres a little as he calmed down. "Maybe not that fast." He looked at the inspector again. "Honestly, I don't remember all that much. It happened too fast."

"How did the chandelier break?"

"The bullet ricocheted off the tiles, and it flew up into the chandelier. You're not much of a Sherlock Holmes, are you? Ow!" Lightning winced as his mother smacked him on the side.

"That's for being rude," she scolded. Lightning pouted.

The inspector let out a long sigh. "You're right, Mr Hornet. I have everything I need on the black box recording." His phone rang then. "Excuse me a minute. Yes?"

There was silence for a moment as the inspector listened to the caller. His eyes widened a bit as he listened.

"Thank you," he finally said, hanging up. He turned to face everyone again. "They've finished the surgery on Mr Piston. He'll live, but he'd be better off dead."

"How do you mean?" Lightning asked.

"He's blind and paralysed."

Lightning recoiled a bit, shocked. Then he sighed. "You should've let me kill him, Doc," he whispered.

Doc arched an eyebrow. "And have you convicted for murder?"

"It was self-defence!"

"Not if you'd killed him," the inspector interjected. "As it stands, you're the victim in all of this. Now, if you'll excuse me; I have a tonne of paperwork to fill out before I go home tonight."

The inspector left. Lightning glanced around at everyone.

"Where's Aunt Susan?"

"She had a hysterical fit, so she's staying in the hospital overnight for monitoring," Sally explained.

"Oh."

Gracie and Mr Hood also left the room, and after a moment, Aunt May, Mrs McQueen and Sally also left, leaving Doc alone with Lightning. Going over to the window, Lightning peeked around the curtains, looking down at the street below. In the fading afternoon light, he could see hundreds of media cars parked outside the Daimler building, all waiting to hear or see something that might prove to be newsworthy. Lightning sighed deeply.

"They all know, don't they?"

"I'm afraid so. I got Harv to release a press statement, since nobody seemed to know what was going on."

The police helicopter flew past.

"So, what happens now?" Lightning asked.

"You're going to get some more rest, and I'm going out to dinner with your mother."

"Great idea. Wait. What?"

Doc closed the bedroom door behind him. "Goodnight, kid."


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 24

A little later, Doc and Mrs McQueen entered a fancy restaurant. They'd managed to slip out of the Daimler building through a back door, so they'd avoided the growing media pack. A waiter showed them to a spare table, and he handed them their menus.

"What a day!" Mrs McQueen exclaimed as she sat down opposite Doc.

"Well, your return to civilization was certainly far more dramatic than we'd anticipated," Doc agreed.

"With all this going on, do you believe Lightning will be ready for his first race of the season?"

"It's hard to tell with him sometimes. We'll see how he recovers from all of this, emotionally. He was really anxious about seeing you again."

"Me too. I just wish I could've known that Peter was behind everything!"

"Don't blame yourself. You accepted him into your family, and nobody ever expects their family to stab them in the back. I have a question for you."

"Oh? What?"

"Your alibi. You didn't give it in court, but Lightning said you were visiting a senile old lady in the building. May I ask…was she your mother?"

Mrs McQueen gasped. "H-how did you know that?"

"It was a complete guess. Would you care to tell me about it?"

"I suppose I may as well. You see, my uncle was a racer in the late sixties…"

"So Lightning told me."

"Oh. Well, after his death, his sister - my mother - was so distraught she spent twenty years mourning for him. My father, who's British, finally couldn't take it anymore and he divorced her shortly before my marriage to Blaze. I agreed to take care of her, so Blaze and I bought an apartment for her in the Daimler building. She was starting to become mentally unstable by then, so we decided it was best to keep her presence as discreet as possible. We only told a few people. To everyone else, she was simply a senile old lady. To cut a long story short, my arrest caused her so much grief, it killed her."

Doc looked very sympathetic. "I'm so sorry that happened to you. And your mother. You did your best for her. But why didn't you tell the authorities?"

"What good would that have done? She was happy living independently. And I couldn't bear the thought of her living out her days in a mental institution. It wouldn't have helped her."

Doc nodded thoughtfully. "You did the right thing. I don't know what I would've done in your situation."

Mrs McQueen smiled a little. "I'm so glad Lightning has you as his mentor. You're like…like Blaze was…"

Doc could see the pain in her eyes. He gently touched his tyre against hers. "Have you ever considered marrying again?"

Mrs McQueen looked up in surprise. "Now who on earth would want to marry a convicted murderer?"

"Convicted, yes. Murderer, no. We all know that now. Don't worry. We'll get your conviction overturned. I'm sure you'll receive a large compensation payout."

"That won't make up for missing out on the ten most precious years of my son's life. Nor will it bring Blaze back."

Not knowing what to say, Doc leaned in closer to her. "Elinor… May I call you that?"

"Sure."

"Elinor, I care about your son as much as you do. You could almost say I've become a surrogate father to him. I want what's best for him as much as you do."

"Then will you please tell him to stop racing! He'd never have become a racer if I'd been with him."

"Oh, I think he'd still be a racer, with or without your permission. He's very strong-willed, motivated and independent. He had to grow up very fast after Blaze's death, and I think he's turned out okay. He has an exciting life now, as well as his own income…"

At that moment, a swarm of paparazzi burst into the restaurant. Doc and Elinor reeled back as cameras flashed in their faces.

"Doc Hudson, will Lightning McQueen be well enough to race in the first Piston Cup race?"

"Is it true that he was shot at?"

A reporter noticed Elinor. "Are you dating, Doc Hudson?"

The waiter beckoned to Doc and Elinor. They drove over to her, and she led the way into the kitchen.

"Quick! You can escape out this way! I'll get rid of them."

"Thanks," Doc said. "Can you give us a five minute head-start, please?"

"I will!"

Doc and Elinor drove out of the restaurant through a back door. They drove down an alleyway for a moment, before turning onto the main road.

"Whew! That was close!" Doc panted.

"You sure weren't kidding when you said Lightning led an exciting life nowadays!" Elinor laughed. "So, where to now?"

"How about we go back to the penthouse and order takeaway?"

"Sounds good to me."

Meanwhile, Lightning and Sally were snuggled up in front of the TV in the dining room. They'd enjoyed a simple meal together, prepared by Mr Hood. Bored with the show, Lightning changed the channel over to RSN. He frowned when he saw that they were talking about him. Kori Turbowitz was reporting.

"…And in the latest Piston Cup news, the main headline today is Lightning McQueen. The rookie sensation from last season has reportedly been involved in an altercation inside his family's Manhattan penthouse earlier today. Early reports indicated that McQueen had been shot at, but in a press statement released about an hour after the incident, Doc Hudson, McQueen's crew chief, reported that aside from some superficial injuries and shock, McQueen was uninjured. We'll bring you more updates as they come to hand. And now we'll go back live to the motocross finals in LA…"

Lightning switched off the TV, just as Doc and Mrs McQueen arrived back. He was surprised to see them back so soon. "I thought you were going out to dinner?"

"And I thought I told you to go to bed early," Doc growled.

"Fine! I'm going… Goodnight Doc…Sally…mum…" And Lightning headed into his room, closing the door quietly.

"Wow!" Elinor breathed. "You really do have a way with him. Even Blaze couldn't get him to obey that quickly!"

"Oh, he just knows that if he doesn't obey me, I'll make him work harder in practice," Doc replied with a wink.

A few hours later, everyone inside the penthouse was fast asleep, when a storm settled over New York City. A loud thunderclap woke Lightning with a start. He'd been restless for most of the night, and had only just fallen asleep. Glancing around his darkened room, he saw that the lights on his alarm clock had gone out. Getting up, he tried the lights. Sure enough, they didn't come on. Lightning sighed. His entire body felt strangely hot now.

Another flash of lightning lit up the room, followed instantly by a boom of thunder. Lightning gasped as his childhood fear of storms took hold of him. He shivered as another bolt of lightning lit up his room. Panicked, he bolted out of his room, down the hallway, into his mother's room, and straight into her bed. Mrs McQueen awoke with a gasp, as did Aunt May, who was sharing the room with her.

"What the…?" Mrs McQueen pulled the blankets off Lightning as another flash of lightning lit up the room. "Lightning? What on earth are you doing?"

"I…I…I, hehe…" he cleared his throat. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't scared of the storm."

Aunt May burst out laughing. "Nice try, Lightning! We all know you're the one who's terrified of storms. Odd, isn't it, since you were built during one and named after it?"

Lightning poked his tongue out at her. Fortunately, it was too dark for her to see it. Mrs McQueen sighed.

"Go back to bed, Lightning. You're nineteen; not nine. Goodnight…" Mrs McQueen kissed Lightning's fender, but then she frowned. "Come closer, sweetie."

Lightning did so, and Mrs McQueen gently placed a tyre on his hood. She gasped.

"Oh, goodness! You're burning up!"

"Am I?"

"Get back to your room, while I go fetch Doc."

"Oh, please don't disturb him, mum! I'm sure it's nothing. I don't feel sick."

Mrs McQueen pointed a tyre towards the door. "Bed! Now!"

With much reluctance, Lightning obeyed. Crawling under his blankets, he waited for his mother to return with Doc. She did a few minutes later. They were carrying torches. Doc placed a tyre on Lightning's hood, then he frowned.

"You're pretty good at hiding things from me, kid, but you're not good at hiding things from your mother. However, I did think that you were a bit 'off' this morning. I'll run some tests just to find out what we're dealing with here. If it's an infection, that can be treated within a few days; but if it's a virus, well… I think you can kiss goodbye to the first race of the season."

"What? No, Doc! I have to race!"

"You don't!" Doc snapped. "There's no rule stating that you have to race in every single race to win the Piston Cup! Now, just stop being difficult, or I'll phone for an ambulance!"

Lightning pouted. At that moment, the lights came back on. Doc returned to his room to collect his medical bag, returning within about thirty seconds. Taking out a stethoscope, he pressed the end against Lightning's side.

"Breathe in for me, kid." Doc instructed.

Lightning did so. Doc listened for a moment, and then he put the stethoscope away. "His breathing's fine. I'll just take his temperature…"

Doc aimed a laser-like gun at Lightning's hood. Lightning just closed his eyes. He was used to Doc taking his temperature. He opened his eyes again when the machine beeped.

"Temp is a little high. I think I'll take an oil sample for testing."

He took out a hypodermic needle. Lightning instantly shrank back.

"Doc! Please! No needles!"

"It won't hurt, kid. I promise."

Lightning scoffed. Doc opened Lightning's hood, and he looked around for a possible oil line. As soon as he found one he liked, he swiftly and carefully inserted the needle. Lightning yelped in pain.

"Ouch! You said it wouldn't hurt!"

"You know, if Mater were here with us, he'd call you a cry-baby," Doc retorted as he withdrew the needle. Lightning flinched.

"Ow!" he muttered as Doc sealed off the wound he'd made in Lightning's oil line.

"There. That should heal up by morning. I'll take this down to the hospital lab now, and I should be back in a few hours with the results."

"Doc?" Mrs McQueen called. "What do I do if Lightning gets worse?"

"Call me at once. In the meantime, try to keep his body temperature stable. I won't be gone long." And with that, Doc left.

Doc sighed with frustration when he saw the lab results of Lightning's oil sample. He turned to the lab technician.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Positive. I can run the test again if you like."

"No, don't bother," Doc sighed. He looked at the paper again. The test had confirmed that Lightning was suffering from an infection, stemming from the wound Mater had accidentally inflicted on him several days earlier.

As Doc left the lab, he accidentally ran into another doctor.

"Oops! Sorry, doctor…?"

"Spark. Doctor Spark."

"You're Doctor Spark?" Doc gasped. "As in, the Doctor Spark who's a specialist in rare paediatric diseases?"

"Uh…yeah…"

"I'm sorry. I've heard a lot about you from one of your patients."

"Really? Who?"

"Lightning McQueen."

Dr Spark's eyes widened. "You know Lightning? How is he?"

"Not too good at the moment," Doc replied as he handed over the paper with the lab results. Dr Spark frowned as he read it.

"An infection? How did he manage to get that? Was it something to do with the shooting earlier today?"

"No, I don't think so. He was superficially injured a few days ago. Guess I didn't clean it up properly. He lost a lot of oil."

"Don't blame yourself," Dr Spark said just as Doc's phone rang. He immediately answered it.

"Hello?" There was silence for a moment, but then Doc said. "Okay, I'm coming now." He hung up the phone.

"Lightning?" Dr Spark inquired.

Doc nodded. "His body temp just shot up. His mother's doing her best, but he needs antibiotics – fast."

"Would you like my help? I have known Lightning since he was three years old."

At Doc's nod, the two cars hurried away to get the supplies they knew they'd need.

Lightning shivered. He was having a strange dream in which he was racing through the desert, and yet he felt strangely cold. And thirsty. He licked his parched lips. Someone pressed a straw to his lips, but he turned away from it. He felt sick in his tank, and he knew that if he ate or drank anything, he'd be sick. A wave of nausea and heat washed over him, making him wish he could pass out.

"How is he?" someone asked with concern.

"He declined rapidly after you left, and now I can't control the fever. He's clearly thirsty, but he won't drink."

"Right. Well, we've been able to diagnose that it is an infection. We need to load him up with antibiotics. If he doesn't improve within twenty-four hours, I'll have to open up his wound and drain it."

"Sorry, Doc, but where did you find Dr Spark?"

"We literally bumped into each other."

"Oh."

"Can you help me, please, Dr Spark? We need to give him the antibiotics via a drip."

"Gotcha. I'll open his hood."

Lightning reeled back as someone touched him. They felt hot…very hot… He moaned in protest.

"Easy, Stickers," Sally murmured soothingly. "You're sick, and we need to look after you to make you better."

The hot car managed to open Lightning's hood. For a moment, the room was silent and Lightning almost fell asleep again, but then he felt something sharp go into one of his oil lines. He moaned, but raised no further protest. He was tired. So tired…


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 25

Sally sighed tiredly. It was her turn to watch Lightning. He'd been sick for just over a day now. Moving over to the window, she watched as the sun began to rise slowly over New York City. The media was still camped out in front of the Daimler building, but their numbers had dwindled considerably overnight. Sally wasn't too surprised. No sane car would willing spend the night sleeping out in the February frost.

A low moan from Lightning caught her attention, and she turned to face him. "Stickers?"

"Sally?" Lightning whispered without opening his eyes. "Why is it so cold?"

Sally frowned. She didn't know what to say. Fortunately, Lightning settled down rather quickly. A moment later, Doc and Dr Spark entered the room.

"How's he doing, Sally?" Doc asked, concerned.

"He just woke up and said he was cold."

The two doctors exchanged worried glanced. Then, at Doc's nod, Dr Spark went to fetch some equipment.

"Sally, I think it would be best if you left the room during this procedure," Doc said in a low voice. "It's not pleasant to watch."

Lightning had almost fallen asleep again, when the whirring sound of a small electric saw woke him again. Before he had a chance to work out what was going on, he felt the saw cut into his side right where Doc had welded his injury together. With an agonised yelp, Lightning jumped sharply to the right. Then the saw was switched off.

"Sorry, kid," Doc said quietly.

Doc pressed one of his tyres up against the now open wound. Thick, black oil oozed out of it. Dr Spark held up a small bowl to collect the infected oil. After a few minutes, the infected oil cleared, and the wound began seeping fresh, healthy oil. Doc pressed a cloth soaked in disinfectant over the wound, while Dr Spark took the bowl away. Once the wound had stopped bleeding, Doc removed the cloth.

"We'll let that wound breathe for a few hours," Doc said. "Then I'll weld it closed again."

With another low moan, Lightning settled back down to sleep.

"Thank you for getting me away from the penthouse, Doc," Mrs McQueen said gratefully as Doc escorted her into a restaurant through the back door. "I really needed to get some air."

"Me too. I'm just sorry that we've still got reporters looking for us; waiting to pounce. I had to bribe this restaurant owner to let us use the presidential room to dine in. It's completely private and secure. Unfortunately, it means we can't use the front door to gain entry, but I'm sure you'll agree that it's a small sacrifice."

It was three days later, and Doc had decided to take Mrs McQueen out to dinner again, now that Lightning was almost better. Because they'd decided to drain the infection, Lightning hadn't become as sick as everyone had expected him to be. Once the infected oil had been drained, Lightning's condition had rapidly improved. And, with the aid of a new strain of antibiotics, Lightning's fever vanished practically overnight, leaving him weak and exhausted. It was then that Sally had finally managed to persuade him to drink. Now, he was resting quietly, which had given Doc and Mrs McQueen the chance to slip away for the evening.

"How on earth did you manage to get us in here?" Mrs McQueen gasped as she glanced around at the interior of the three-star Michelin restaurant. "They've got a six month waiting list, you know!"

"Don't worry. Rust-Eze are paying for this," Doc chuckled.

"What?" Mrs McQueen exclaimed. "Doc!"

"Relax! When you've got connections to last year's Piston Cup's 'Rookie of the Year', doors open up for you all over the place."

"Oh. I just feel so guilty leaving Lightning."

"Don't worry. Sally, Gracie and Dr Spark will look after him tonight. Come over here."

Doc pushed open a door with his tyre, and he followed Mrs McQueen into the presidential room. Mrs McQueen gasped in amazement. The room was decorated in crimson and gold. A huge chandelier hung over the only table in the room, and soft candlelight lit up the room. Doc handed Mrs McQueen a bouquet of red roses, making her gasp again.

"Doc!"

"Let's eat, shall we?"

"Doc, I've got the sneaking suspicion that you're up to something."

"You're right. I am. You'll find out what it is later," he added with a wink.

The evening was a great success. Doc and Elinor discussed everything from their early lives to their dreams for the future. They also discussed Lightning in great detail, including what they'd like to see him achieve, both in racing and in life.

"You've done him a lot of good," Mrs McQueen finally said as their waiter brought out their deserts. "I can't imagine what he'd be like now if he hadn't met you."

"The whole town changed him; not just me," Doc humbly protested. "But I can see that he needs a father in his life; just like you need a husband…"

"Now, who'd want to marry me? I'm middle-aged, with a mature son and no income…"

"None of that matters to me," Doc replied with a sheepish grin. He nodded to the waiter, who lifted the lid off the desert cloche. There, in the centre of the tray, was a solid gold and diamond hubcap. Mrs McQueen gasped in disbelief and confusion.

"Doc…?"

Doc just leaned in closer to her. "Elinor? I know I've only known you for less than a week, but ever since I saw you come out of that horrible prison, I've been in love with you. I know this is crazy, since I've never been in love with anyone else, but I can feel that there's a deep bond between us. So, Elinor… Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

Too stunned to speak, Elinor nodded slowly, tears pricking her eyes. Finally, she drove straight at Doc, planting a firm kiss on his lips. Now it was Doc's turn to be surprised, but he gladly retuned the kiss.

"Wow!" Elinor exclaimed as they broke off the kiss. "How on earth are we going to tell Lightning?"

"I-," Doc began, but then his phone rang. Annoyed, he glanced at the screen to see who was calling. It was Sally.

"Hello, Sally."

"Sorry, Doc, I know you said no interruptions unless there's an emergency, but…"

"But what?" Doc asked, frowning.

"Uh… Lightning's just woken up, and…well… Let's just say, he's hyper…"

"Sally, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Dr Spark tried to sedate him, but he lost control of him. We've had to lock him in his room. Dr Spark-."

"Give me the phone, please Sally," Dr Spark said as he took the phone from her. "Doc? Lightning's gone A950 on us. I need your help."

Doc's eyes grew wide. Although he was only a GP, he knew what that meant. Lightning was having one of his 'Jaguar Syndrome' attacks.

"Oh, Chrysler!" he groaned. "How? He hasn't had one in years!"

"I know. Seriously, Doc, if we can't sedate him soon, he's going to seriously hurt either himself or someone else."

"We're on our way," Doc replied as he hung up the phone. He turned to Elinor. "I'm sorry, but Lightning's having an attack, and it sounds serious…"

Without saying another word, Doc clipped the gold hubcap onto Elinor's wheel. Then they left the restaurant through the front door. Nobody tried to stop them as they made their way back to the Daimler building.

When they entered the penthouse, they found the whole place strangely quiet. Sally was parked outside Lightning's bedroom door, looking concerned yet calm.

"I think he's worn himself out," she told Elinor.

Elinor breathed a small sigh of relief.

"We need to sedate him," Dr Spark said. "We've been trying for the past half hour, but none of us can get near him. He lashes out whenever we try." He turned to Elinor. "Could you try?"

"Me?"

"You're his mother. And even when cars are far away, trapped in their own thoughts, they somehow always seem to hear their mother's voice."

"Okay, I'll try. Have you got the sedative?"

Dr Spark handed it over.

"Thanks. How do I administer it?"

"Directly into his fuel tank. Just be prepared to get out of there quick. He can't control himself during an attack, and we don't want him to accidentally hurt you."

Nodding, Elinor cautiously entered Lightning's room. He was standing quietly in the centre, staring absently at the wall. Moving silently, Mrs McQueen went over to Lightning's side. Just before she reached him, she began to sing a little lullaby she'd sung to him as a baby. After a moment, Lightning let out a small sigh, and he relaxed. Taking that as her cue, Elinor slowly and carefully injected the sedative into Lightning's fuel tank.

"Mum?" Lightning whispered, not seeming to notice what she was doing to him.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I hate being like this. I know Jaguar Syndrome makes me fast, but why can't I be fast without it?"

"You're supposed to have outgrown it by now."

"I know! I haven't had an attack in about five years, so why did I have one now?"

"I'm sure there must be a reason for it," Elinor replied soothingly as she removed the syringe from Lightning's tank. She moved closer to him. As she did so, Lightning caught a glimpse of her gold hubcap. He did a double-take.

"Mum? You're wearing gold hubcaps!"

"No. Just one."

"One gold hubcap… That means… You're…engaged?"

Elinor gently kissed Lightning's cheek. "Get some rest, sweetie. You must be exhausted after your attack."

Elinor started to leave the room, but Lightning's next question stopped her.

"Mum? Are you engaged to Doc?"

"Yes." Elinor's voice was barely above a whisper. Hearing nothing more from Lightning, she silently left the room.

Outside, Elinor handed the syringe back to Dr Spark.

"He's sedated now, and resting peacefully."

Everyone breathed sighs of relief. Sally turned to Dr Spark.

"What do you think caused his attack?"

"I'm starting to wonder if it might have been the antibiotics," Dr Spark replied. "This could've been an allergic reaction to them. I'll have to run some tests to find out. At least we can safely say that Lightning's recovered from the infection. I have to go now. Please, don't hesitate to phone me if Lightning takes a turn for the worse."


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 26

"ENGAGED?"

Lightning's voice echoed all around the penthouse early the next morning. Everyone was at the dining table having breakfast, and Lightning had just joined them. The sedative had obviously worn off, and he appeared to be feeling much better now that he'd almost recovered from the infection.

"You don't mind, do you, sweetie?" Elinor asked awkwardly.

Lightning froze, staring uneasily at his mother and Doc. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that his mother and Doc would actually fall in love with each other. He couldn't figure out when or how it had happened, but one thing was for sure – it had. His mother's gold hubcap on her front left wheel was proof of that.

"Mind? One minute I'm sick, and the next I find that you're engaged to my crew chief! How am I supposed to react?"

"You could say 'congratulations'?" Sally suggested.

Lightning shook his hood. "Not yet. I'm still trying to process it all. I'm going for a drive…" And he headed towards the lift.

"Where's he going?" Elinor wondered anxiously.

"You've guess is as good as mine," Doc sighed, turning back to his breakfast.

About an hour later, Doc arrived at the old abandoned racetrack. Sure enough, Lightning was racing around the track, burning laps. With a heavy sigh, Doc pulled on his headphones.

"Kid?" he called. Static answered him. Doc sighed again, and he removed the headphones. Lightning had his radio switched off. That reminded him that Lightning needed to have his black box tape replaced.

Doc continued watching Lightning race around for another fifteen minutes. He didn't like the strange sound coming from Lightning's engine. It sounded like he was straining it a bit, but then he realised that it was just the remains of the infection leaving his system. Just as he was about to leave, Doc heard Lightning's engine return back to the usual V8 growl it was supposed to sound like. Satisfied that Lightning would be okay on his own, he left.

Lightning saw Doc leave. He didn't know how long Doc had been watching him, but it didn't really matter. With a tired sigh, Lightning slowed down, finally coming to a stop in the infield. He didn't know what to think now. He wanted advice, but he couldn't go to Doc like he always had before. And Sally…she would never be able to understand what he was going through. Revving his engine, Lightning hurried out of the old stadium. He knew who he had to see.

A little later, Lightning timidly entered Dr Spark's waiting room. It was pretty much empty. He went over to the receptionist.

"I'd like to see Dr Spark, please."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Uh…no. But I do need to see him ASAP, please."

Nodding, the receptionist picked up the phone. "Sorry to disturb your lunch break, Dr Spark, but Mr McQueen is here, asking to see you."

There was silence for a moment, but then the receptionist put the phone down.

"You may go in and see him now."

"Thank you," Lightning said gratefully.

Dr Spark was just finishing his lunch when Lightning entered.

"Hi. Sorry to disturb you."

"No problem," Dr Spark smiled. "It's always a pleasure to see you, Lightning. What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you'd managed to find out why I had that attack last night."

"Not entirely. At the moment, I believe you had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics."

Lightning raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm allergic to something? Wow."

Dr Spark chuckled. "It was a new type of antibiotic, grown specifically to target certain infections. I've already published a preliminary report asking doctors to refrain from using the antibiotic on patients with Jaguar Syndrome; at least until after further tests have been carried out. Your reaction may have just been an isolated case, but it's better to be safe than sorry in cases like this."

Lightning nodded in understanding. Dr Spark frowned thoughtfully.

"You didn't just come here to ask me that, did you?"

"I… How did you know that?"

"Easy. I've known you since you were an infant. I know you inside and out."

Lightning flinched backwards. "That don't sound nice."

Dr Spark chuckled. "I know you far better than you think I do. You're upset because your mother became engaged to Doc, right?"

Lightning's jaw dropped in astonishment. "H…How…"

"I told you, Lightning. I know everything there is to know about you; right down to your favourite energy drink."

Lightning frowned. "That's none of your business!"

"It is, actually. It's my job to ensure you stay as healthy as possible. Now, could you please get onto the rolling road for me?"

"Why?"

"Light-."

"I'm going! I'm going!" Lightning retorted as he hurried across the room.

Once he was on top of the rolling road, Dr Spark clamped his front wheels securely.

"Now, I want to you go as fast as you can. Push yourself as hard as you can."

Lightning didn't need a second invitation. He took off exactly as he would during a race, only this time he wasn't actually moving anywhere. He didn't need to watch his speedometer anymore. He already know he was redlining.

"Harder!" Dr Spark shouted above the roar of Lightning's engine. "Come on! Push yourself!"

Lightning squinted, concentrating as hard as he could. His engine was starting to hurt him now, and an unusual whining sound was coming from the motor. Despite that, he closed his eyes and pushed himself as hard as he possibly could.

"All right! Stop!" Dr Spark finally shouted.

Lightning slowly eased on his brakes. After a few seconds, his engine stopped hurting and the whining sound went away. He finally rolled to a complete stop. Dr Spark's eyes were wide as he stared at the computer screen in front of him.

"What? What is it?" Lightning asked, concerned.

"What's the top speed you've ever been recorded at?" Dr Spark asked.

"Two-hundred and one, pushing as hard as I can. That was recorded during one of my earlier races last year."

Dr Spark finally looked at Lightning. "It would seem that your last attack did something to your engine. You just hit two hundred and twenty miles per hour!"

"What?" Lightning exclaimed. "But… That's impossible!"

"Well, technically, yes, but the two scanners I had trained on you the whole time you were running just now both showed that your top speed was two hundred and twenty. You can't argue with the computers."

Lightning silently agreed. It was true. He couldn't argue with the computers.

"So, what does that mean?"

"You're an amazing racer."

Lightning scoffed. "Yeah, I already know that. But there's more to this than just testing my engine."

"You're right. I do have a point. Do you remember the first time I had you in here up on that rolling road?"

"Yeah."

"You were hesitant to push your engine, unlike today. Today, you just went for it; no questions asked."

"Yeah, I guess I kinda did. I couldn't see the harm in it."

"Whereas the first time, you could see the harm in it. You were afraid of the consequences."

"But there weren't any," Lightning pointed out.

"Exactly. And Doc's relationship with your mother is exactly the same. Right now, you're scared of what the consequences might be. You're scared to see your mother get hurt, and you're scared of being hurt again yourself. Now, you just need to realise that you can't control everything in your life, just like you can't control what happens on the racetrack. Your family have their own lives to live, just like you have yours. Yes, sometimes you might get a little bit hurt, but that's all part of life. You just need to learn to fight through the pain, because once you get through it, things will be far better for you. Do you understand?"

Lightning nodded thoughtfully. What Dr Spark said made sense. It was a little scary just how well Dr Spark knew him. That made him shiver a little. Dr Spark couldn't help notice that.

"How are you feeling now, regarding that infection?"

"Uh… I think I'm okay now. I'm still a bit tired, but I ran some laps before I came here. My engine sounded a bit funny, but since it didn't hurt, I just assumed that it was just build-up from the infection and antibiotics."

Dr Spark nodded. "I'd say so too. Your engine sounded perfectly fine just now."

"So… Can you unclamp me now, please?"

Dr Spark obliged, and Lightning reversed off the rolling road. "Getting restless, were we?"

Lightning shrugged. "Well…you know me…"

"Yes. I do. And before you go, there is something I want you to do…"


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 27

Lightning restlessly paced around inside the hospital waiting room. He couldn't believe Dr Spark's last request – that he go and see his uncle! Dr Spark had advised that it would be good for Lightning, but he couldn't understand how. In fact, the very idea repulsed him. Still, he'd do almost anything for Dr Spark. After all, the good doctor had cared for him since his infancy.

A police car entered the waiting room. "The nurse says you may see Mr Piston now, Mr McQueen."

Lightning exhaled nervously. Then, taking a deep breath, he followed the police car out of the waiting room. A moment later, they entered Peter Piston's hospital room. Lightning recoiled the moment he saw his uncle. His whole chassis was held securely in a brace, and his damaged eyes now stared dimly into space. A doctor was examining Peter's chassis. He looked up when Lightning entered the room.

"Ah! Mr McQueen. I understand that you attacked your uncle in self-defence, correct?"

Lightning nodded slowly. He saw his uncle tense up a little.

"L-Lightning?" Peter gasped. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I've been asking myself the same question," Lightning sighed. "One of my doctors kinda forced this onto me. For closure, you know."

Peter scowled. "Well, I think you've just come to gloat over your handiwork."

"Why would I care to see the car who ruined MY life?" Lightning exploded. "You think that I ruined your life? I didn't. You were the one who ruined your own life! You! With all your thoughtless notions of stealing my family's money, just so that you could continue living your lie to Aunt Susan! You started all this the moment you decided to lead a double life! You-."

"You're a fool, Lightning!" Peter interrupted. "You think you're so high and mighty just because you're a hotshot race car!"

"Oh, I don't think it. I KNOW it!" Lightning shot back. "And I'd rather be living my life as I am now, than trade it with you! Yes, I may be constantly mobbed by fans and the media, but at least I have friends and family, unlike you! You've lost everything because of your foolish greed!"

"I haven't lost everything!" Peter spluttered. But Lightning could see the hopeless look in his blind eyes. He knew full well that Lightning had spoken the truth.

"That's enough!" the doctor snapped. "Mr McQueen, I think you should leave now. But I'd like to talk to you first, so if you could please wait outside in the corridor. Mr Piston, I'm going to leave you for a few minutes, okay?"

"Whatever."

The doctor followed Lightning out into the corridor. With a sigh, Lightning turned to face him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose my temper like that. It's just…"

"I understand. The police informed me of his attack on you. You have every right to be bitter towards him. I just thought you should know that he's going to be moved to a prison hospital sometime next week."

"Oh. Okay. Thank you. I guess I'd better be going now."

It was late in the afternoon when Lightning arrived back at the penthouse. He found his mother and Doc talking anxiously in the lounge room.

"…I can't help being concerned about him, Doc," Elinor was saying. "Especially after the way he took off this morning!"

"Don't worry, Elinor. Lighting's an adult. He can take care of himself."

"He's a famous race car! Anything could happen to him on his own! I wish I had the money to hire a bodyguard for him…"

"That won't be necessary, mum," Lightning said as he drove into the room. It was the first time he'd been in that room since his father's death, but he didn't even realise that. "Doc's right. I can take care of myself."

Elinor threw her tyres around Lightning, almost winding him. "Oh, Lightning! I was so worried about you! Where on earth have you been all day?"

"Ow! Mum! I can't breathe!"

Elinor quickly let go of Lightning, and he fell back onto all four tyres, gasping for air. After a moment, he managed to regain his composure.

"I'm fine, mum. Really. I was just taking care of some business, that's all."

"You didn't spend all day at the racetrack, did you?" Doc's voice was filled with concern.

"Of course not! I went to see a few old friends too. One of them reminded me that I can't control the lives of anyone; not even myself. All I want is for those closest to me to be happy. And that includes you two. It shouldn't be up to me to say if you should marry. My thoughts and opinions shouldn't come into it, as long as you're both happy."

Doc and Elinor softened. Then, Lightning did something that surprised them both. He embraced his mother tightly and burst into tears. Doc recognised those tears at once. They weren't tears of sadness. They were tears of relief. He blinked slowly, as he took in the scene. Lightning was finally letting go of the pain from his past. None of them saw Sally and Gracie watching from the dining room.

"I can't believe he's crying!" Sally whispered. "He never cries!"

"Oh, he does," Gracie assured her. "But like all men, he never likes to cry in public. Still, I like guys who aren't afraid to show their true feelings. It's not a crime to have feelings, so why is it discouraged?"

"I don't know," Sally sighed.

Finally, exhausted, Lightning pulled away from his mother, sniffling as his tears subsided. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You have nothing to apologise for," Doc told him gently. "Now, go have a shower, freshen up, and we'll see you at dinner."

"Okay." With a small sigh, Lightning headed towards the bathroom.

About an hour later, Lightning joined everyone else at the table for dinner. Although he was still emotionally exhausted, he was also starving, having eaten nothing all day. Doc watched on with satisfaction as Lightning ate everything offered to him without raising a protest.

During the desert, Lightning looked up at Doc. "So, Doc? How are we going to get down to Daytona by Friday?"

"Easy. Mack's already on his way here. Are you sure you're up to racing though?"

Lightning shrugged. "I can always ease off if I'm not feeling right."

"You say that now, but I know you won't," Doc said with a knowing wink.

"Is anyone else from Radiator Springs coming?" Lightning asked, changing the subject slightly.

"No. They need to look after their businesses now that the town's thriving again. They've promised to watch the race on TV though. Just don't try doing anything foolish during the race; especially with Chick Hicks."

"I won't," Lightning promised.

Doc rolled his eyes. "That'll be the day. Oh, and Rusty and Dusty have reserved a private box for your friends and family. Well, twenty of them anyway."

Lightning smiled. He knew exactly who'd be going at the top of that list!


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 28

A tyre gently shook Lightning's fender. "Lightning? Wake up sweetie. We're at Daytona."

"Already?" Lightning yawned. "But I just went to sleep…"

"Yep! Fifteen hours ago! Come on," Elinor said. She, Doc and Sally had followed Mack and Lightning from New York City. Dr Spark, Aunt May, Aunt Susan and Gracie would arrive the next day for the qualifying. Lightning followed his mother down the ramp of his trailer, where Doc was waiting.

"Right, kid. This is your schedule for today. You have a team meeting in room four-oh-eight at ten o'clock. Then at eleven-thirty, you have your appointment with the track doctor. The chief doctor has already cleared you for racing based on my report, but the track doctor will be conducting a thorough medical. At twelve-thirty, everyone's having lunch together, during which this year's racers will be introduced. Then tomorrow morning at nine, you need to attend the racer's meeting in room one-one-four. That's all, aside from the safety briefing on the morning of race day."

"Wow!" Elinor exclaimed. "I never realised just how much goes on behind the scenes."

"Oh, this is just the tip of the iceberg!" Doc chuckled. "We all do so much more than just watch Lightning race. Come on. We'd better get to that team meeting."

"Where's Sally?" Lightning asked, looking around the busy infield.

"She's already gone to the hotel," Doc replied.

A short time later, Lightning, Doc, Elinor and Mack entered room 408 for the Rust-Eze team meeting. A loud, excited scream greeted Lightning as he entered the room, making him cringe.

"Lightning!" Rusty and Dusty exclaimed in unison as they hurried over to him. Lightning rolled his eyes.

"Hi guys."

"Kid!" Another well-known voice joined the fray. It was Harv.

"Hey, Harv," Lightning replied half-heartedly.

"Okay!" Rusty shouted, banging a small gavel. "Let's bring this meeting to order! We've only got an hour to discuss everything, so let's not waste any time."

Lightning took a place in the front row, beside Doc. Elinor was on Doc's other side.

"Okay, everyone!" Rusty said once everyone had settled down. "Welcome back to another year of racing! We're looking forward to another great year this year, just like last year, aren't we, Lightning?"

Lightning felt very conspicuous as everyone turned to look at him. Grinning sheepishly, he forced himself to nod. "Oh, boy!" he whispered to Doc once everyone had stopped looking at him. Doc just chuckled.

"But before we can enjoy the first race of the season, we have some 'in-house' matters to take care of. First of all, we all know that Lightning McQueen has already agreed to be our racer for the forthcoming year-."

"Yeah!" an over-excited car cheered from the back of the room. Everyone turned to look at him, making him flush a brighter shade of crimson than he was already painted. Embarrassed, he tried to hide behind Mack.

_Awkward! _Lightning thought, trying desperately hard not to burst out laughing. He coughed instead.

Rusty cleared his throat. "Uh, Secondly, Lightning's crew chief from the tie-breaker race last year, Doc Hudson, has also signed on for the year. We also have a new pit crew for Lightning. Let's just hope you like them, kid, 'cause we 'ain't getting you another one!"

Lightning gulped. At least they were giving him one last chance with that. He glanced at Doc, who winked at him.

"Right. Now, to finances…"

Lightning groaned audibly. This was the part he hated. He instantly itched to get out of there!

"Just settled down," Doc whispered, sensing Lightning's restlessness.

"I can't!" Lightning whispered back. "Can't I go? Please?"

"No! Now, shh!"

Lightning pouted. All he wanted to do was get out of there…

About an hour later, the meeting ended. Fed up with having to sit still throughout such a boring meeting, Lightning accelerated out of the room much too fast, and he ended up accidentally sideswiping another car.

"Ow!" the other car yelped.

"Ooff!" Lightning exclaimed as he winded himself. He quickly reversed. "Sorry!"

"You will be!" the other car scowled, turning to face Lightning. Lightning froze when he recognised the other car. It was none other than Chick Hicks!

"I-," Lightning began, but Chick cut him off.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, rookie? If you've damaged anything, I'll be sending the bill to you personally!"

"I said I was sorry! What more do you want?"

"You to not come back to racing!"

"Me? You're the delinquent road hazard! It's you who shouldn't be on the racetrack!"

"Stop it, you two!" Doc growled, driving between the two race cars. "Save it for the racetrack! Come on, kid."

"Yeah, that's it, kid!" Chick taunted. "Go with your old man…"

Furious, Lightning revved his engine loudly, causing everyone in the hallway to turn and watch the exchange. Two Piston Cup officials hurried over.

"What's going on, here?"

"Oh, you know," Doc sighed, pushing Lightning away, "what usually happens when two rivals who are full of ego and high performance oil meet in the same hallway instead of out on the racetrack. I'll deal with one half of the fight, if you two deal with the other," he added, pushing Lightning further away down the hallway. Once they were a safe distance away from Chick, Doc turned to face Lightning. "Just cool it, will ya?"

"Doc! You know me! I just want to race!"

"Good things come to those who wait. Now, come on. You've got a doctor's appointment next."

Lightning gave an exasperated sigh. He was more than ready to race, having been eating nothing but electrolyte fuel and drinking nothing but high performance oil, so his energy levels were sky-high. He knew that if he didn't do something about it soon, he'd either explode or go crazy.

The track doctor was ready for them when they arrived. He sighed and shook his hood the moment he saw Lightning.

"You're ready to race, aren't you, Mr McQueen?"

"More than ready," Lightning replied eagerly.

"Well, I'm afraid you're ready a day early. Can you get onto the lift for me, please?"

Lightning hesitated until Doc nudged him. Reluctantly, he drove onto the hydraulic lift. The track doctor pressed a pedal. Instantly, clamps shot out from the lift, and they clamped Lightning's wheels down securely.

"Hey!" Lightning protested.

"Sorry, kid, but I've dealt with more than my fair share of hyper cars today as it is. Right. Let's get on with this…"

"He needs to have the tape in his black box replaced too," Doc informed the track doctor. "I'm sure I mentioned that in my report. It was taken as police evidence."

"Yes, I was made aware of that fact. I'll install a new one now."

Twenty minutes later, the track doctor completed his examination by taking small samples of Lightning's fuel and oil for testing.

"So, am I okay to race?" Lightning asked.

"Looks like it," the track doctor smiled. "The results of all the fuel and oil tests will be known by morning, but mechanically, you're fine."

"Great!" Lightning grinned.

Smiling at Lightning's enthusiasm, the track doctor lowered the lift, releasing the wheel clamps at the same time. Lightning nearly flew off the lift, and he spun a doughnut.

"Are you feeling hungry?" Doc asked.

"A little."

"Good, because it's time for lunch. Come along, kid."

Just over an hour and a half later, Lightning was seated at the Rust-Eze table inside the dining hall. All the other teams were present, and everyone was casually enjoying their luncheon. Doc had managed to sneak Elinor in as Lightning's nutritionist, which wasn't exactly a lie.

The waiters had just finished clearing up after the main course, when the chief Piston Cup official drove onto the stage, stopping right beside the case where the much-coveted Piston Cup was displayed.

"Ladies and gentlecars! Welcome to another exciting year of Piston Cup racing!" He paused as everyone began applauding. "Now, I know what you're all thinking. Just who is going to be driving away with the Piston Cup this year? Well, I'm afraid I can't answer that until after the last race, and neither can you! We've had a total of fifty-six racers apply to race in this year's season, but as I'm sure you're all aware, only forty-three of you will be racing in the Daytona five-hundred the day after tomorrow. Yes, it is a long race, so I hope you're all prepared to race at your very fastest in qualifying tomorrow. Now, down to business. As your name and number are called, please come up onto the stage and press this lever. The machine will select a numbered ball at random, and that will be the order in which you will undertake qualifying tomorrow. Let's start with car number eight! Dale Earnhardt Junior!"

Lightning smiled as Junior drove up onto the stage and pressed the button. A ball was shot through the machine and it fell into a chute.

"And it's…number fifteen!"

Grinning, Junior left the stage. Lightning knew that it was a good draw, and he applauded for his friend. Because the qualifying was taking place in the morning after the pre-race meeting, getting a low number in the draw meant that those racers wouldn't be trying to qualify during the heat of the day. Lightning hoped he'd also get a low number.

After a while, Chick was called onto the stage. As luck would have it, he got number two.

"Damn it!" Lightning whispered under his breath. The only low numbers left now were five and nineteen. He hoped he'd get one of them.

"Number ninety-five! Lightning McQueen!"

Lightning snapped out of his thoughts as his name was called. He quickly drove onto the stage, slowing down as he drove up the ramp. He pressed his wheel down on the lever, praying that it would be one of the low numbers.

"And it's…number fifty!"

_Double-damn it!_ Lightning thought bitterly as he made his way back to his table. Doc cast him a sympathetic glance.

"Don't worry, kid. It shouldn't be too hot tomorrow, but we'll load you up with plenty of coolant, water and oil before you qualify. I'm not going to let you overheat!"

Lightning smiled a little. "Thanks Doc. I'm sure I'll be fine. I just would've preferred a lower number."

"I know. I think we all would've preferred a lower number."

After the luncheon finished, Lightning, Doc and Elinor decided to go and join Sally at the hotel. Leaving the stadium, Lightning paused on a balcony to take a look at the track. He'd only raced here three times before in his life, so he wasn't as familiar with this racetrack as he was with some others. Doc and Elinor stopped on either side of him.

"Turns are banked at thirty-one degree," Doc mused. "One of the steepest tracks in the Piston Cup. Want some advice?"

"Yes."

"Use the turns to aid your speed. Go up high, and as you come off them, use gravity to aid you coming into the straights. Just be careful not to over-correct."

"Got it. Thanks, Doc. Junior's father died here, didn't he?"

"Yeah. Right down there, at turn four. He was killed on impact."

Elinor shivered, and she gently squeezed Lightning's tyre with her own. "Just don't do anything foolish out there tomorrow, okay?"

"I'll be careful, mum. I promise." And Lightning headed towards the exit.

"Elinor," Doc said gently. "I'd appreciate it if you kept your fears to yourself. You're not going to do Lightning any good if you pass your concerns onto him."

"But I…" Elinor sighed as Doc's words sank in. "You're right. I'll try not to say anything."

"Thank you. Now, let's go to the hotel. I want Lightning to have an early night tonight."

"Okay."

Only five other racing teams were staying in the same hotel as the Rust-Eze team. One of them was Dinoco. Fortunately, Chick Hick's HtB team was staying at another hotel. Seeing Tex in hotel's lounge, Lightning went over to him.

"Hi Tex."

"Oh, hey there, Lightnin'! I haven't heard from ya in a while. Are you okay after that shooting at you family home?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you. Just severe shock."

"I hope you're ready for qualifying tomorrow."

"I am. I hope your new rookie lives up to your expectations."

"He should. The King's been helping with his training, so don't expect things to be easy for you out there tomorrow, or on race day."

"I won't," Lightning grinned, winking. Turning around, he headed towards the lifts.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 29

The sun was barely up when Lightning entered his mother's hotel room. The four of them were sharing a large hotel suit, but they all had separate bedrooms. Elinor was still fast asleep, so Lightning gently nudged her fender with his tyre.

"Mmm… What…?" Elinor mumbled sleepily.

"Wake up, mum! It's qualifying day!"

"Mhm… What's the time?"

"Six-thirty."

Elinor's eyes flew open. "Six-thirty?" she exclaimed. "Go back to sleep!" And she threw a pillow at Lightning.

"Hey! I always get up early on qualifying and race days. So, come on! Get up!"

Elinor responded by roughly pushing Lightning towards the door. Then she slammed it in his face. Lightning shrugged and he went to Doc's room.

"Go away!" Doc grunted when Lightning knocked on the door.

"But it's qualifying!"

"Hence no early morning practice. Now, go back to sleep!"

Sighing, Lightning was about to go to Sally's room, but after his mother and Doc's reactions, he decided to let her sleep. Instead, he headed into the lounge room, where he switched on the TV, tuning it to the RSN channel. About half an hour later, Doc joined him.

"You're weird, Lightning," he mused.

"Huh? How so?"

"Whenever I want to get you up early for practice, it takes ages to drag you out of bed. But when I want to sleep in, you're up with the sun!"

Lightning chuckled. "Sorry, Doc. I just want to get out onto the track."

"What are you watching?"

"RSN's Piston Cup pre-qualifying news. I was about to switch it off. I'm sick of seeing myself."

Now it was Doc's turn to chuckle as Lightning switched off the TV. "You wouldn't have said that a year ago."

Lightning dropped his gaze, knowing that Doc was right. A year ago, he wouldn't have been able to get enough of seeing his image.

"I hope they didn't say anything to upset you?" Doc asked as he pushed a can of high performance oil in front of Lightning.

"Nah. Just comparing our stats. They're saying I'm the best all-rounder in the field, but I'd better look out for Dinoco's new rookie. They say he's got a fast closing sprint."

Doc nodded thoughtfully. "Anything else?"

"Apparently, Junior's matured a bit over the winter. We'll need to keep a close eye on him. And Chick too, of course."

"Of course," Doc agreed. "Well, drink up. I'll be keeping a close eye on your fluids today."

Lightning pulled a face, but he quickly clamped his lips around the straw when Doc frowned at him.

"Watch it," Doc warned. Then he drove towards the hallway. "Don't forget to take a shower!"

"I won't!" Lightning shouted back.

After having breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, Lightning, Doc, Elinor and Sally travelled to the racetrack. When they arrived there, they parted ways, and Lightning headed to room 114. All the other racers were on their way there too. Seeing Chick not too far ahead of him, Lightning slowed down.

"What's wrong, Lightning?" Junior asked, coming up beside him.

"In a word, Chick."

"Gotcha." Junior winked. "You looking forward to qualifying?"

"Of course! Are you?"

"Definitely!"

They drove into room 114 side by side, and they found a couple of empty spaces. Lightning breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Chick park on the other side of the room.

"He really gets to you, doesn't he?" Junior asked.

"Only when he's in front of me."

Junior chuckled just as the chief Piston Cup official drove to the front of the room.

"Good morning, racers! I hope you've all had a good night's sleep, and that you're ready for qualifying. As I'm sure you're all aware, today is all about racing against the clock, and not against each other. That's tomorrow's reward."

A small chuckle rang though the crowd of racers. Lightning and Chick shot each other cold glares across the room.

"Now, it's time for a little house-keeping, and then we'll call the roll."

"What is this?" a rookie called out. "School?"

Everyone laughed, except the chief official. He cleared his throat. "First and foremost, some of you may have noticed that this year, we're increasing our testing for illegal Performance Enhancing Fuels. The reason for this crack down, is that last year, two rookies and another racer were caught using Performance Enhancing Fuels…"

All eyes immediately turned to Lightning. He glared back.

"It wasn't me!" he shouted defensively.

"Yes, that's enough, guys," the chief official said firmly. "McQueen was NOT one of the rookies who was caught."

"See!"

Everyone settled back down.

"All right, let's move on. Another thing we're cracking down on this year is the amount of contact between you racers during races. And yes, Hicks, we're all looking at you now…"

That made everyone laugh again, while Chick fumed angrily.

"And now we get to see what happens when you put fifty-six ego-filled hotshot race cars in the same room together," the chief official groaned as the room descended into chaos. He banged a gavel several times. "Order!"

"…Yeah, you heard him, Chick!" Lightning's was the loudest voice heard as the racers settled back down. "Sorry," he said to the chief official in a quieter tone.

"That's fine, McQueen. Now, let's move on-."

"You're in trouble, McQueen," Chick murmured loudly enough for everyone to hear.

The chief official banged his gavel again. "Order! Save it for the racetrack you two! Now, let's take the roll. Armstrong?"

"Here."

"Axler?"

"Here."

Lightning sighed, and he turned his attention to Junior. "I am so going to make Chick pay for what he did to the King last year."

"Good. And while you're doing that, I'll be crossing the finish line in first place."

"Why, you…!"

"Earnhardt."

"Here!" Junior replied.

"You wish!" Lightning hissed. "I'll beat both you and Chick, and I'll break the track record while I'm doing it!"

"McQueen?"

"Here!"

"I already knew you were," the Chief official said with a wink.

"Huh?"

"You're talking way too much."

"Oops. Sorry. I'll be quiet." And Lightning literally bit his tongue.

"Thank you. Motorkruss?"

"Here."

The chief official finished taking the roll a few minutes later. "Okay, so if there are any further changes to your teams, please either come and see me now, or before your qualifying round. Also, before you go, you're all obligated to give a fuel sample."

A collective groan resounded around the room.

"'Obligated to give a fuel sample'?" Lightning whispered to Junior. "Translation? We're not getting out of here without donating some of our fuel to science!"

They both laughed loudly, causing those near them to look their way. That made them both laugh even harder. In fact, they were almost hysterical.

"All right, that's it!" an official said. "You two clowns are going first!"

"Was it something we said?" Junior chuckled, making Lightning burst out laughing again.

"Okay, please, stop! Ow! I can't take it anymore!" Lightning gasped. "I can't…breathe!"

"That makes two of us!" Junior whispered in a strained, high-pitched voice.

The two cars thumped tyres, before going into separate cubicles for the fuel test. As soon as Lightning saw the nurse who was going to take his fuel sample, he forced himself to settle down. She was an older forklift who would clearly tolerate no nonsense from young racers. Lightning watched nervously as she opened up the test kit. He'd undergone fuel tests many times before, but this nurse didn't look like the kind who'd be gentle with him.

She wasn't. Without saying a word to Lightning, she roughly pushed the long tube down into his fuel tank.

"Ow!" Lightning whimpered, and he flinched.

"Hold still," the nurse scolded.

Lightning rolled his eyes. Then he closed them and, sinking down onto his tyres, he winced as he heard the horrible sound of his siphoned fuel trickling into the test tube.

"There you go," the nurse finally said, as she pulled the tube back out of Lightning's tank.

"Finally! How much did you take?"

"Only the required ten mils. Off you go now."

Lightning shook himself as he left the cubicle. He met Junior in the hallway.

"Hey, Lightning! How was your nurse?"

"Urgh! Creepy."

"Oh yeah? Well, I got a date with mine!"

"Yeah, I'll bet she takes all your details and then tries to blackmail you later with lurid photographs."

Junior was a little taken aback. "Whoa! What's got into you?"

"Let's just say I lost more than I bargained for with that nurse. I swear, she took more than ten mils!"

"Maybe she's planning to harvest it to clone you?" Junior teased.

"Very funny! Although I wouldn't put it past her," he added, taking a cautious glance back into the room.

"Come on. Let's get down onto the track. I'm qualifying soon!"

"You go ahead. My qualifying round isn't for another two hours at least."

"You sure you want to hang out around here with Mrs Creepy Nurse?"

"Why, you little…!" Lightning exclaimed as he playfully took off after Junior.

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so please feel free to review it. I'd greatly appreciate it. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 30

It was a feeling Lightning never grew tired of - entering the racetrack infield amidst the deafening roar of the screaming crowd. The stadium wasn't full, but that was to only be expected on a qualifying day. Still, it was a decent turnout. He could see that a lot of cars who'd been The King's or Chick's fans last season were now his fans. Grinning into the nearest camera, he winked to the crowd before making his way over to his pit area. Glancing up at the grandstand, he could see Elinor, Sally, Dr Spark, Aunt May, Aunt Susan, Gracie, Rusty and Dusty inside the Rust-eze VIP box.

Inside the RSN studio, Brett Mustangburger and Darrell Cartrip were just about to go live on air. When their producer gave them the signal, they turned towards the cameras.

"Welcome race fans to another exciting year of Piston Cup racing!" Darrell said enthusiastically. "We are coming to you today live from the Daytona International Speedway, where the racers are preparing for the first qualifying round of the season."

"There are fifty-six racers entered in the Piston Cup this year, but only forty-three will qualify to race in the first race – the Nitroade Daytona five-hundred," Brett continued. "Of course, we can all expect a few cars to qualify. Last year's Piston Cup winner, Chick Hicks is back, but his fan base has dwindled dramatically. Third place winner from last year, Lightning McQueen, is back, of course, and probably more hungry than ever to win his first Piston Cup. Junior is also desperate to win his first Piston Cup, and, like Lightning McQueen, he appears to be in with a solid chance after maturing a bit over the summer. But none of them should be complacent when it comes to Dinoco's new rookie, James 'Jimmy' Jones. We're yet to see him in action, but it's been rumoured that he has a very strong final lunge. That could change the outcome of tomorrow's race at the very last minute."

"It looks like Junior is all set to do his qualifying laps. Let's go trackside now with Kori Turbowitz…"

Down at the pit, Lightning had just finished meeting his new pit crew for the very first time. They were all professional, and they knew what they were doing, which put Lightning at ease. He stayed in his pit just long enough to see Junior complete his qualifying laps. His fastest lap time was set at 43.586 seconds. Smiling a little, Lightning went into his trailer. He was confident he could beat that time.

About an hour and a half later, Doc knocked on the door of Lightning's trailer.

"Lightning? It's time for you to get ready to qualify... Lightning?"

Doc lowered the ramp of Lightning's trailer to find him busily playing a video game. Sighing, Doc shook his hood.

"Lightning!"

"Hold on!" Lightning said. "I'm almost finished this level."

"Correction. You have finished," Doc snapped, as he switched off the TV.

"Hey!" Lightning protested.

"Get yourself out here. Now!"

Reluctantly, Lightning reversed out of his trailer. "Now I'll have to do that level all over again!"

"I'd rather see your tyres moving that fast out on the racetrack than on a game controller," Doc muttered, nudging Lightning towards to pits. "Oh, and you've passed the fuel test they did on you yesterday, but they want to do another one before you qualify."

"Again? They sure weren't kidding when they said they were cracking down this year!"

Doc didn't bother to respond. Instead, he escorted Lightning over to the large tent where the fuel tests were obviously being carried out. Sighing heavily, Lightning went over to an official.

"McQueen," the official greeted him. "When did you last top up with fuel?"

"About an hour and a half ago. I've been resting inside my trailer during that time."

Nodding, the official wrote that down. "You understand that you won't be allowed to top up again before you qualify?"

"Yes."

"Good. An official will stay with you until you enter the track for your qualifying round. Come with me, please."

Lightning reluctantly followed the official into a cubicle, where he watched closely as a different nurse took another fuel sample from his tank. Poor Lightning almost fainted during the procedure, but the nurse was good and quick, and the whole procedure was over in less than a minute.

"I could never imagine you as a fainter," the official said to Lightning as they emerged from the cubicle.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Lightning sighed. He shook himself roughly before leaving the tent. Another official began following him at a discreet distance.

Lightning gazed up at the sky. It was clear, without a cloud, and the sun was blazing down mercilessly. He found Doc in the Rust-eze pit, browsing through his computer.

"Pop his hood," Doc instructed a pitty.

The pitty obeyed, undoing the hood clips, and lifting Lightning's hood. The pitty then connected two cables up to the computer connected to Lightning's engine. The official watched on quietly over Doc's shoulder, ensuring that Doc only did what he was supposed to be doing – setting up the Wi-Fi connection and ensuring Lightning's computer was recording data properly.

"Computer system is online," Doc finally announced.

The pitty disconnected the wires, and he closed Lightning's hood, ensuring the clips were fastened properly. Doc pulled on his headset, and he switched on the radio.

"Can you hear me, kid?"

"Loud and clear, Doc," Lightning replied through his own radio.

"Number ninety-five, Lightning McQueen, on deck!" the loudspeakers screeched.

"You're good to go now, kid," Doc said.

Nodding, Lightning headed down to the end of pit row, where another official stopped him. The official following Lightning handed over some papers, and then he left. Lightning watched as the racer qualifying before him entered his final lap.

"What are my instructions, Doc?" Lightning asked.

"Warm up your tyres first, and when you cross over the start-finish line, accelerate to a hundred and fifty and stay there for that lap. On the second lap, go up to a hundred and eighty. Then max it on your final lap."

"Got it. And what time am I trying to beat?"

"Chick Hicks set the best time of 43.128 seconds. Let's see if you can break into the forty-two second mark."

Grinning, Lightning responded to that challenge by revving his engine as loudly as he could. That made the crowd cheer and scream excitedly.

"Okay! You're good to go!" the official shouted to Lightning above the roar of the crowd.

With a small tyre squeal, Lightning accelerated onto the track. As his speed reached about a hundred and twenty, he began to weave about to warm up his fresh, slick tyres.

Over the next two laps, Lightning did exactly as Doc had instructed. But as he ended his second warm-up lap, he accelerated much faster than Doc would've preferred. Lightning glanced down at his speedometer as he crossed over the start-finish line to begin his third and final lap. He was already hitting two-hundred miles per hour.

"Come on!" he whispered to himself as he started to push himself. All his dials were saying that he was maxed out, but he knew he wasn't. Not yet, anyway.

Sure enough, Lightning was still accelerating. Doc's eyes widened as the numbers on his computer screen kept climbing steadily. Flames could easily be seen shooting out of Lightning's exhausts; a clear sign that Lightning was pushing himself – hard. He wanted to tell Lightning to stop pushing his engine, but at the same time he didn't want to distract the kid and possibly cause him to crash. Annoyed, he bit his tongue.

Up in the Rust-eze VIP box, Dr Spark gasped when he saw just how fast Lightning was going on the TV screen. "No!" he groaned to himself.

"What's wrong?" Elinor asked.

"I should never have tested him after his illness! He's going to injure himself going at that speed on the racetrack!"

"But-."

"Look at the speedometer on the TV! He's going over two-hundred and ten miles per hour!"

"But I thought he was limited to two hundred."

"That was until he got sick. It affected his engine, and he can now go much faster than that! He's going to hurt himself though! His engine can't handle those kinds of speeds for prolonged periods!"

Meanwhile, inside the RSN studio, Bob and Darrell stared at the lap time in shock, unable to say a word as the section times flashed up green on their screens. Downstairs, inside the Piston Cup Officials box, they were closely monitoring Lightning's stats in a state of confusion and disbelief.

"He appears to be maxed out now," one official said.

"What speed's he doing?"

"Two-hundred and twenty-three."

The chief official leaned back on his tyres as Lightning came off the back straight. "Have his fuel samples re-tested. And make sure there's an official there to get him the second he stops."

"Yes, sir!"

Back down in the pits, Doc frowned as a red warning light flashed up on his computer screen. Lightning was overheating. He couldn't stay silent any longer.

"Lightning," he called softly into the radio. "Are you okay?" His only response was static. Lightning had obviously switched off his radio. "Damn the kid!" Doc fumed. "I can't wait until he's my step-son! Then I'll give him what-for!"

Out on the track, Lightning was starting to lag. His engine hurt him badly, and the red warning light flashed brightly in his eyes, making it difficult for him to see the track. Then he saw the finish line looming. Squinting, he made a final lunge across the finish line, before cutting sharply towards the infield. There was a 'snap!' and then Lightning's engine cut out. He only just managed to skid to a stop before passing out.

Doc instantly leapt into action, throwing off his headset as he raced over to where Lightning had stopped, inches from the pit row wall. Paramedics and officials were also hurrying over, but Doc reached Lightning first.

"Kid!" he shouted desperately as he skidded to a stop in front of him. "Lightning? Are you okay?"

With a low groan, Lightning slowly blinked open his eyes. "Doc? I think I threw a fan belt…"

"You idiot!" Doc fairly screamed. "What on earth were you thinking? You could have seriously injured yourself!"

"I'm sorry, Doc, but I wanted to try and break the lap record."

"That's no excuse!"

At that moment, the loudspeakers screeched into life. "Ladies and gentlecars! We are pleased to announce that Lightning McQueen has just broken the lap record for this track, setting a blistering time of 39.908 seconds!"

"What?" Lightning squealed in disbelief. Doc's jaw dropped.

"I..."

But whatever else he had to say was lost in the roar of the crowd as it erupted in a standing ovation. The team of paramedics finally arrived, and they quickly set to work on Lightning.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 31

"How are you feeling now, kid?" Doc asked Lightning for the umpteenth time.

"Aww, Doc! You really do care about me, don't ya?" Lightning chuckled.

Doc just grunted, and he pushed another bottle of coolant in front of Lightning. "Get that down you, and don't argue!"

Lightning obediently clamped his lips around the straw. They were inside the track doctor's office, waiting for the doctor to return with the results of an engine scan. Lightning's fan belt had indeed broken, but his engine had already started to overheat before it broke. The doctor had replaced the fan belt, but he was greatly concerned about the state of Lightning's engine, so he'd taken some scans. The track officials had also taken some of Lightning's fuel for testing, and now Doc was in charge of re-hydrating the kid.

Doc ran a temperature scan over Lightning's engine for the third time in as many minutes.

"Doc! You know that my temperature isn't going to come down that fast!"

Grunting, Doc put the machine aside. Just then, the track doctor returned.

"Right," he mused as he clipped copies of the scans up on a white screen. He flicked on the backlight, and he looked intently at the scans, looking for any signs of internal damage or metal fatigue. Doc joined him, leaving Lightning by himself on the other side of the room while they quietly discussed the scans. Lightning sipped on his coolant. Outside the room, he could hear a commotion going on in the hallway, but he had no idea what it was about. He guessed it had something to do with himself though.

"So…am I okay?" he finally asked the two doctors. Turning, Doc almost pounced on him.

"I really wish you were my son now, because then I'll have every legal right to smack your rear bumper as hard as I possibly can!"

Seeing the fury in Doc's eyes, Lightning gulped and shrank back. It was rare for Doc to completely intimidate him, but clearly, he'd pushed Doc too far today. Suddenly, the reason dawned on him.

"I broke your track record today, didn't I?"

Doc flinched, making Lightning grin. Then he started laughing hysterically. Now it was Doc's turn to shrink back.

"You'll pay for this, Lightning Blaze McQueen," Doc muttered under his breath. "Breaking my record is one thing, but to then laugh about it…"

Lightning managed to settle back down. He went over to the track doctor, who was still examining the scans.

"So…is my engine okay?"

"Looks like it," the track doctor sighed. "You're very lucky though. It's not designed to go more than two-hundred. Didn't it hurt?"

"Heaps. I kinda figured it was worth it though. Especially after seeing Doc's reaction just now!"

Both doctors shook their hoods in disbelief. Just then, the phone rang. The track doctor answered it.

"Yes? Yes, he's still here. Okay. I'll tell him." Hanging up the phone, the track doctor turned to face Lightning. "You're wanted in the boardroom, Mr McQueen."

"Did they say why?"

"Some sort of inquiry, I think. You'd better hurry."

"So, I'm okay to go?"

"For now. I'll write up a report for the officials. And you must keep drinking plenty of oil and coolant for the rest of the day, okay? And come and see me again at five p.m."

"Yep. Thanks."

Lightning left the room with Doc, and immediately regretted it. The hallway was packed with reporters! Luckily, several security guards and officials were on hand to clear a path for them through the crowd. They yelled out questions as they made their way slowly towards the boardroom.

"Lightning! Are you feeling okay?"

"How do you feel about breaking your crew chief's track record today?"

"Don't you dare answer that one!" Doc hissed quietly to Lightning.

"Why? Did I strike a wire?" Lightning grinned.

"Lightning! What do you think about Chick's disqualification?"

"Wait…what?"

"Keep going, kid!" Doc said, pushing Lightning forward. "Get back, all of you! Now!"

Finally, they reached the boardroom. Lightning was surprised to find Rusty, Dusty and Dr Spark already in there.

"What are you doing here, Dr Spark?" Lightning asked.

"Trying to clear your name."

"Huh?"

The chief official cleared his throat, and the room fell silent. "Mr McQueen. I'm not sure what you've heard yet, but the big news is that Chick Hicks has been disqualified from tomorrow's race."

"May I ask why?"

"Performance enhancing fuel was found in his tank before the qualifying round."

Lightning gasped softly, but the first word to pop into his mind was '_Idiot!_' "What does that have to do with me?" he asked nervously.

"It has everything to do with you. You did just break a track record that has stood for more than fifty years! That is why we're having your fuel samples retested as we speak. Now, can you please tell us any other reason why you were able to go so fast? We've been through all your statistics and your medical records, and aside from your Jaguar Syndrome, we can't find anything that would've given you such a dramatic speed increase."

Lightning glanced nervously at Dr Spark and Doc. He didn't know what to say. "Umm… I'm not sure how it happened…"

"Were you running on performance enhancing fuel?"

"No!" Lightning instantly replied. "Why would I? I don't need to cheat to win! Yes, I might be a hothead and a bit immature, but I'm not stupid! Especially with you guys cracking down on us racers. I'm glad you caught Chick, but I swear to you that I would never cheat to win a race!"

Surprisingly, the officials looked like they believed him. The chief official edged forwards.

"Can you then please explain to us what happened today?"

Lightning sighed tiredly. "A few weeks ago, I fell ill with an infection-."

"Was that before or after your uncle shot at you?" another official asked.

"After," Lightning glowered. "Who told you about that anyway?"

"Err… It was all over the news…"

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't know. I was…in shock at the time… Anyway, after I got better, I went to see Dr Spark, to talk to him about some personal matters…"

"Excuse me, but what does Dr Spark have to do with this?" another official asked.

"I have been Lightning's specialist for his Jaguar Syndrome ever since he was an infant," Dr Spark answered. "He sometimes comes to me for advice when he can't ask anyone else."

Lightning nodded, confirming what Dr Spark had said. "Anyway, after we'd talked, he decided to test my engine to find out if the infection had affected it in any way. Turns out, I was able to go faster than two hundred miles per hour, which really surprised me. I don't know how I was able to do it, but I decided to try and do it again today, and, well, you've seen the results."

The chief official sighed thoughtfully. "Can we get the track doctor up here, please? Now! And tell him to bring McQueen's file with him."

Five minutes later, the track doctor entered the boardroom, looking a little hassled. "Sir? Can we please get security to remove the media from the hallway? It's a real traffic jam out there!"

The chief official nodded to one of the other officials, who went to arrange it. After he'd returned, the chief official filled the track doctor in on their investigation.

"Now," he finally said, "Can you tell us if McQueen's engine has been illegally tampered with?"

"I can assure you, sir, that it's the exact same engine he was built with, save for the standard modifications it had to undergo when he became a racer."

"Can you provide us with evidence?"

"Yes, sir. I took scans of his engine immediately after his qualifying round today. I can put them up on the projector so you can see them for yourself."

Lightning groaned. This was the one thing he hated about racing – his personal details being made public before an inquiry. Doc cast him a sympathetic glance.

After the officials had spent a few minutes examining the scans, the chief official called everyone back to order.

"Right, so it's perfectly obvious that McQueen hasn't cheated. I'd still like to know how he managed to do it though!"

"Are you saying I'm not as good as my coach?" Lightning asked impishly. That made everyone laugh, except Doc, whose cheeks flushed a little. Then Dr Spark spoke up.

"Excuse me, sir, but I think I can explain how it happened. Sometimes, after a car with a pre-existing condition falls ill, after they recover they find that they might be a little bit faster or stronger than they were before the illness. When Lightning was ill with the infection, I decided to experiment with a new strain of antibiotic. It did cure him faster than normal, but he also suffered a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotic, which may have tweaked something inside his engine to give him that extra burst of speed we saw today."

"I've heard of that happening," the track doctor mused, nodding in agreement.

"So, what you're saying is that McQueen set the track record today because of an allergic reaction?" the chief official asked.

"I'd say that's the most likely cause."

"And, may I ask, what was the allergic reaction he suffered?"

"It was a Jaguar Syndrome attack."

The chief official nodded slowly. "I see… Very well then. Have those fuel tests results been completed yet?"

"I'll find out," another official said, going to the phone. He returned to the table a moment later. "The lab reports that all the test results were negative, sir. They're sending you a written copy of the report."

"Fine. Well, McQueen. Thank you for co-operating with this inquiry. You're cleared to race tomorrow, and the record you set today will be made official."

"Thank you, sir," Lightning smiled. "I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Good luck out there tomorrow."

"Thank you."


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 32

Lightning felt exhausted by the time he, Doc and Dr Spark returned to the hotel. After Lightning had gone back to have his appointment with the track doctor, it had taken them over half an hour to get through the press packs both outside the racetrack and the hotel. Elinor had the TV on when they entered Lightning's hotel suite. Lightning heard Kori's voice before he saw the screen.

"…And of course, the biggest news story of the day is the shock disqualification of last year's Piston Cup winner, Chick Hicks. At this moment, Chick is facing a Piston Cup inquiry to determine the length of his suspension. It's rumoured that he could receive as much as a two-month suspension. We'll let you know more on this story as it develops. And the other big news story from Daytona today is Lightning McQueen, who succeeded in completely smashing the Daytona track record today. The track record, set by McQueen's own crew chief, the Fabulous Hudson Hornet, back in 1951, has stood for fifty-six years. Today, McQueen, in an amazing display of speed, took almost three seconds off the previous record! The talk at the track today is that Lightning McQueen will win tomorrow's race."

Doc switched off the TV, and he turned to face Lightning. "We need to talk."

"Uh oh," Lightning grinned, turning to glance at his mother. "Sounds serious."

"It IS serious!" Doc growled. "Listen to me, Lightning Blaze McQueen! And wipe that stupid grin off your face!"

Lightning gulped. "Okay, I'm listening."

"Whatever happens tomorrow, you are not to go over two hundred miles per hour."

"But, Doc-!"

"No buts! Today it was your fan belt; tomorrow, you could blow up your whole engine! You could kill yourself!"

Elinor chocked back a sob, and she fled from the room. Lightning glanced from Doc to Dr Spark.

"Is that true?" he asked Dr Spark in a low voice. Dr Spark nodded solemnly.

"It has happened…"

"But once I reach two hundred, my speedometer doesn't go any higher. I can't see what speed I'm doing!"

"That is a problem," Doc mused. He looked at Dr Spark. "Are you any good at computers?"

"I get by…"

"I've got an idea. In the meantime… Lightning? Why don't you go and get something healthy to eat downstairs? But don't be back late."

"Define 'late'?"

"Nine o'clock! Now get out of here!" Doc growled.

Laughing, Lightning left his suite, and he went down the hallway to the lifts. Downstairs, he found Sally relaxing in the restaurant, sipping a cup of coffee. Lightning ordered his food and drinks before sneaking up on her.

"You'll be up all night on that stuff," he teased.

"Stickers!" Sally exclaimed. Chuckling, Lightning parked at the table beside her.

"We haven't been able to spend much time together lately, have we?" Lightning told her.

Sally shook her hood. Then she leaned in closer to him, batting her eyelids flirtatiously. "So, what are you going to do about it, hmm?"

"Mmm… How about we go and see a movie?"

"But Doc's going to want you to go to bed early tonight."

"Damn! How about we just take a drive then? Down to the beach?"

"I love that idea," Sally grinned.

A waiter arrived then with Lightning's meal, breaking up the romantic moment. At that moment, Sally's phone rang.

"Hello? Yes, he's fine. He's with me." She hung up. "Doc."

Lightning rolled his eyes. "He's worse than the press! At least I can see them coming."

"Speaking of which, we'd better hurry up and get out of here before someone recognises you."

Half an hour later, Lightning and Sally were driving slowly along the almost deserted Daytona Beach. The moonlight shone down brightly, which enabled Lightning to be able to see clearly, even without headlights. Laughing, Sally leaned up against Lightning as she tried to avoid a wave washing up against her wheels.

"It's been quite a long day for you, hasn't it?" she asked.

"Mmm…"

"You're very quiet tonight. What's on your mind?"

"Oh, a number of things really. I'm trying to imagine how tomorrow's race will go without Chick."

"Oh. And what else?"

"I'm hoping that when mum and Doc are married, they won't try to interfere in our lives."

"I can have a quiet word with them, if you think that'll help?"

"I suppose it can't hurt. We should have the ground rules established early."

"Hey, look! There he is!" someone suddenly shouted.

Turning around, Lightning and Sally saw a swarm of reporters heading straight towards them.

"What'll we do?" Sally gasped.

"Simple. Drive!" And with that, Lightning floored it, sending up a huge spray of wet sand. Sally was quick to follow him.

"Hey! Wait, McQueen! We just wanna ask you a few questions!" one of the reporters panted.

Lightning and Sally quickly left the beach, and they darted down the back streets until they reached an intersection with a main road, where they finally stopped to catch their breath.

"Whew!" Lightning gasped. "I hope we lost them!"

"Uh, Stickers…!" Sally said looking behind her. The reporters were still chasing them!

Lightning accelerated onto the main road, where they tried to blend in with the traffic. "I wish we could have autobahns here!" he shouted as they ducked and weaved around the other cars.

"Maybe you should get yourself a bodyguard!" Sally laughed, enjoying the thrill of the chase.

"Wouldn't help!"

At that moment, a siren pierced through the air. With a loud groan, Lightning slowed down, as did Sally. They both pulled over onto the shoulder beneath an overpass. A moment later, the police car stopped in front of them, and he turned around to face them.

"Well, well, well. I never dreamed I'd ever pull over THE Lightning McQueen!" the police car chuckled. "Any reason why you were speeding and driving recklessly?"

"Yes," Lightning retorted. "THEM!"

Glancing back, Lightning, Sally and the police car saw the reporters closing in fast. Lightning pouted.

"Look, I'll give you my agent's number, and you can discuss this with him," Lightning said urgently. "I could get kicked out of tomorrow's race if it gets on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper that I was pulled over for speeding. Then you'll have my fans chasing after you – all twenty-five million of them!"

The police car gulped, realising that what Lighting was saying was perfectly true. "Follow me. I'll escort you back to your hotel. We'll talk there."

"Thank you officer," Lightning grinned gratefully.

"You're not off the hook yet, though!" the police car frowned, before turning back onto the road. Lightning and Sally followed him closely.

Seeing that Lightning now had a police escort, the reporters backed off. Soon, Lightning, Sally and the police officer arrived safely back at the hotel. But instead of leaving them inside the foyer, the police car escorted Lightning and Sally upstairs to their suite. Doc and Elinor were more than a little surprised to see the police car.

"Right," he said once they were safely inside the suite. "Now we can talk without the threat of being photographed. McQueen? I'm afraid I'm going to have to fine you for speeding, reckless driving and threatening an officer-."

"But I didn't threaten you!"

"You threatened to set your fans on me!"

"Only if you let the reporters catch us. They didn't, so what I said won't ever happen."

"You still threatened me, so I'm going to fine you for that."

"Fine!" Lightning pouted as he took the tickets. "What do I care? It's only five-hundred and fifty dollars. That's loose change for me!"

Ignoring him, the police car turned to Sally. "Miss…?"

"Carrera," Sally supplied.

"Miss Carrera. I'm going to fine you for speeding and reckless driving too."

"Give me those tickets," Lightning said, taking them from the police car. "You can't blame Sally for this. She was just following me, so I'll pay her fines."

"I can't let you do that, Stickers!"

"I don't care who pays them, so long as you do," the police car sighed. "You've got thirty days to pay them. And, and one more thing, Mr McQueen? You're lucky I didn't fine you for not having headlights, a horn and wing mirrors." And with that, the police car left.

Lightning scoffed. "Idiot! He should know I have a legal exemption from having them. Don't worry about the fines, Sally. I'll let Harv handle them. He managed to have my last speeding fine waived."

Doc cleared his throat. "Lightning? It's bedtime."

"But it's only nine o'clock!" Sally protested.

"Lightning has a five-hundred mile race tomorrow," Doc reminded her. "And knowing how long it takes him to settle down to sleep, I need to get him to bed as early as possible. Especially after the apparent excitement you two seem to have had tonight. Off you go, Speedster."

Lightning sighed in defeat. "Good night, everyone."

"Goodnight!"

Sally followed Lightning down the hallway. Stopping outside Lighting's bedroom, they engaged in a long, passionate kiss. Doc rolled his eyes.

"All right, kids. Break it up. You can do all that after the race tomorrow."

"Just one more, Doc…" Lightning said, and he moved in for another kiss. But Doc was faster, and he managed to nudge Lightning into his room.

"Save it for tomorrow, kid."

"Goodnight, Stickers," Sally said, smiling affectionately at Lightning.

Doc pushed Lightning inside his room. "Bed! Now!"

With a reluctant sigh, Lightning headed over to his large bed. He knew that Doc was right about him having an early night, but he didn't feel tired.

Doc re-joined Elinor and Dr Spark in the lounge room.

"How's Lightning?" Elinor asked quietly.

"I've just sent him to bed," Doc replied. "But I think he's going to be up for another few hours at least. That kid's got way too much energy!"

"Oh, I think I can get him to go to sleep," Elinor smiled. She headed towards Lightning's bedroom and knocked softly on the door. "Lightning?"

"Yes mum?"

"Why don't you go and have a nice warm shower, and then I'll bring you some warm oil?"

"But Doc told me to go to bed."

"He wants you to go to sleep, and so do I. This will help."

Lightning opened the bedroom door. "Okay then," he said, before heading to the bathroom.

After Lightning had had his shower, he returned to his room to find his mother standing in there with a can of warm high-performance oil.

"Thanks, mum," Lightning said, smiled sleepily. Elinor nudged him affectionately.

"Goodnight, sweetie."

"Goodnight, mum."

Elinor left the room quietly. Lightning took a few sips of oil before switching off the light and settling down to sleep.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 33

Elinor knocked loudly on the bedroom door. "Lightning? Wake up, sweetie. It's nine o'clock."

"What?" Lightning muttered sleepily.

"It's race day."

Lightning was instantly awake. Shaking himself a bit, he hurried over to the door and he flung it open.

"That's the last time I have a warm shower before going to bed!" he exclaimed as he dashed into the lounge room. Elinor and Doc chuckled.

"Calm down, kid," Doc said. "The race doesn't start until four o'clock, but you need to attend the safety briefing at eleven o'clock. Now, have some breakfast."

Lightning glanced uncertainly at the can Doc pushed in front of him "I don't think I can eat. I feel really nervous all of a sudden."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Doc smiled. "Just take a few sips and see how you feel after that."

"Okay."

"Oh, and one more thing…" Doc said after Lightning had taken a few small sips. "Last night, Dr Spark and I made a minor upgrade to your computer system. It's been programed now to set off a warning light once you go over two hundred miles per hour."

"But won't that distract me while I'm racing?"

"Only if you exceed two hundred. If that light comes on, you must to slow down. Understood?"

"Yes, Doc."

"Good. Now, finish eating and we'll head on down to the racetrack."

Lightning clamped his lips around the straw again.

Four o'clock couldn't come soon enough for Lightning. Doc finally sent him to his trailer so he could save his energy and stop annoying the pit crew. Finally, just when Lightning thought he'd go mad, Doc knocked on his trailer door.

"Kid? You ready?"

Lightning responded by revving his engine loudly. Then he lowered the ramp. As usual, the press were gathered all around his trailer. His image came up on the large screen, making the crowd go wild. They began chanting his name. Looking into the cameras, Lightning winked and grinned.

"Ka-chow!" he said, flashing his lightning bolt sticker, which only made the crowd scream even louder, if that was possible.

Lightning then headed over to the tent where an official and a nurse were waiting to take a fuel sample from him. He emerged a few minutes later, looking like he was going to throw up. He hurried over to his pit.

"Urgh! I hate fuel samples," he complained to Doc. Doc chuckled as he pulled on his headset.

"Toughen up, kid. Let's do a radio check. You on?"

Lightning switched on his radio, but because he was so close to Doc, the feedback rang through the headset. Doc quickly pulled his headset back off.

"Lightning Blaze McQueen!"

"Sorry!" Lightning chuckled. "I should never have told you my full name…"

"Move away and we'll try this again," Doc instructed as he pulled his headset back on. "That's fine. Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Doc. As usual…" Lightning mumbled.

"You're asking to be grounded, you know that," Doc growled.

Lightning just laughed, and he revved his engine. He was ready to go. His pit crew gathered around him, ensuring that his tyres were firmly on, and that his fuel tank was full. Lightning smiled gratefully at his pit crew.

"Thank you, guys," he said appreciatively. "Let's make today a team effort."

"You're welcome, McQueen," one of the pitties replied.

The loudspeakers screeched into life. "Racers! Start your engines!"

Grinning broadly, Lightning revved his engine as loudly as he could. Then he closed his eyes for a moment.

"Speed. I. Am. Speed," he whispered under his breath. He re-opened his eyes, completely focused on the task ahead of him.

The Piston Cup officials began to wave the racers into their starting places in line behind the pace car. Since it was a top ten reverse order starting grid, Lightning would be starting from tenth place.

Once all the racers were lined up, the pace car headed out onto the track, leading them. Lightning was right behind Junior and Jimmy, Dinoco's rookie. The racers began weaving around to get their tyres warmed up. As they crossed the start/finish line for the very first time, the racers fell into grid formation, but they kept pace with the pace car.

"How are my tyres looking, Doc?" Lightning asked over the radio.

"Just do a bit more weaving, and you should be fine. I'll let you know."

"Thanks."

Lightning continued weaving as Junior fell back alongside him.

"It's kinda weird racing without Chick," Junior said as he weaved about too.

"I know," Lightning agreed. "Hopefully, it'll be a clean race."

"Guess I'll see you again after the race."

"Yeah. Good luck!"

"Thanks. You too!"

"Kid?" Doc called over the radio. "Your tyres are good now, and everything else looks great! You're good to go."

"Thanks Doc"

The pace car peeled off into pit row, and the racers accelerated as they approached the start/finish line. The starter dropped his green flag just before the leading car crossed over the start/finish line. The race was on!

Lightning immediately accelerated up to a hundred and eighty miles per hour, keeping pace with the other racers around him. Junior stayed beside him, and the two friendly rivals stared at each other, sizing each other up. Junior accelerated a little, but since Lightning was on the inside, he had a clear gap coming onto the back straight. Chuckling to Junior, he accelerated up to a hundred and ninety as he drifted to the inside. Lightning passed about four cars before the third turn, where he had to merge back into the field.

The laps passed by quickly. Before long, the race was half over, and as the sun set, the flood lights were switched on. Lightning had settled into fourth position, with Junior right behind him. Jimmy was well back in the field, but Lightning hadn't ruled him out yet.

"How am I looking, Doc?" Lightning asked over the radio.

"We're just making some fuel calculations now," Doc replied. "I want to try and avoid a 'splash and dash' later if we can. Stay out there until I tell you to come in."

"Okay. Guess you're hoping for a safety car soon, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I doubt we'll get one 'cause Chick's not racing."

"Thanks for the reminder, Rookie."

"I'm not a rookie anymore, Doc."

"I'll call you whatever I like."

Lightning just laughed. But then, Lightning heard Junior's wheels lock up as they entered the fourth turn. Behind him, he heard the distinctive sound of metal on metal. Then everything seemed to happen at once. The car racing on Lightning's outside suddenly ducked to the inside to avoid a flying wheel, accidentally grazing Lightning's right-hand side. The impact caused Lightning to over-correct, sending him spinning down towards the infield. Braking hard, Lightning managed to turn away from the infield wall, and he turned back towards the track. Behind him, he could hear the sounds and screams of a huge crash. He stole a glance at the large screen. Sure enough, most of the field was involved in the crash, but there was a lot of smoke, so Lightning couldn't make out which cars were involved.

"Lightning?" Doc called over the radio.

"I think I'm okay, Doc. I was just grazed."

"Come into the pits."

"Okay. Uh…Doc?"

"Yes?"

"Something's wrong with my front right tyre. I can't move it."

"Well, your axle checks out okay. We'll take a look at it when you come in."

Lightning drove into pit row, along with most of the other racers who'd managed to escape the crash. His pit crew were all ready for him, with a fresh set of tyres and fuel. The pitty changing Lightning's right-hand tyre immediately saw what was wrong with it.

"His fender has been bent, causing it to rub against the tyre and stop it from turning!" he shouted to Doc. "You want me to straighten it out?"

Doc glanced down at Lightning, who was concentrating on the screen, which was still showing the crash. He knew that straightening out the fender would hurt Lightning, but it needed to be done. Doc nodded, and the pitty set to work.

"Ow!" Lightning yelped as his fender was straightened out. "That hurt!"

Ignoring him, the pitty changed his right-hand tyres. "Clear!" he shouted.

"We're just waiting on fuel," Doc informed Lightning.

"Okay. Doc?"

"Yes?"

"Who's hurt?"

"About a third of the field."

Lightning gulped. "Junior?"

"Just concentrate on the race."

"Doc! I'm NOT moving from here until you tell me how Junior is!"

Doc gave a reluctant sigh. "His wheels locked up, causing the accident. He's been taken to hospital. They'll do their very best for him. Now, concentrate on the race, please."

Lightning nodded solemnly. Doc rarely had to beg him to do anything, but when he did, it was because he knew that Lightning was thinking about giving up.

The fuel nozzle was finally removed from Lightning's tank. "Clear!" the pitty shouted.

"You're good to go, Lightning," Doc told him.

Lightning took off, heading back out onto the track. He was surprised to find that he was in second place behind the pace car. Jimmy fell into line directly behind him. For about fifteen laps, the remaining racers followed behind the pace car while the track was cleared of debris, and the officials ensured it was safe to race on.

Finally, the race was restarted. Lightning and Jimmy remained in second and third place respectively until the second last lap. Lightning could feel himself starting to tire, but he knew he had to keep going.

"Floor it now, kid!" Doc instructed.

Lightning obeyed, accelerating up to two-hundred miles per hour. Jimmy also accelerated, and together they overtook the current leader. They raced side-by-side down the back straight.

"Doc?" Lightning called into the radio. "I'm tired. I don't think I can hold him off."

"He's a rookie. I'm sure he's just as tired as you are."

Lightning glanced over at his competitor. "He doesn't look tired, Doc."

"Do your best to hold him off."

The two racers crossed over the start/finish line, beginning the final lap. Neither car gave an inch, but then Jimmy dropped back. Lightning gulped. He knew exactly what Jimmy was doing. He'd fallen into Lightning's slipstream, with the hope of sling-shoting past him at the last moment. But Lightning knew what to do. He began weaving around, hoping to frustrate Jimmy and make him change plans. It didn't work. Jimmy clung to him like glue.

"Doc? What can I do?" Lightning asked desperately.

"There's not much you can do, kid," Doc told him gently.

"Please, Doc! I really want to win! Just, tell me when I hit two-hundred and ten!"

There was silence for a moment, but then Doc sighed in defeat. "Go for it, kid."

Taking a deep breath, Lightning began pushing his engine just that little bit harder. The warning light came on, but Lightning ignored it. To his great surprise, Jimmy pulled up alongside him. He was using the 'sling-shot'!

"No!" Lightning whispered through his gritted teeth. His engine was screaming now, and hurting him terribly.

"Kid? That's enough!" Doc shouted urgently through the radio. "Lightning!"

The two racers crossed the finish line side by side.

"It's a photo finish!" the loudspeakers announced as the crowd burst into wild, excited cheers.

Lightning slowed down as fast as he could safely do so. He was exhausted, and panting heavily. At least his engine no longer hurt.

"Are you okay, Lightning?" Doc asked with concern.

"Yeah…I-I think so…" Lightning said breathlessly.

"Does your engine hurt?"

"It did, but not now." Lightning was moving slowly around the outside of the infield as he made his way back to the pits. His tank lurched. "And now I feel sick…"

"You pushed yourself too hard," Doc grunted. 'Come in as soon as you can. We'll take care of you."

Lightning limped slowly back to the pits, stopping in front of Doc. At that moment, the loudspeakers screeched back into life.

"Ladies and gentlecars! The winner of the Daytona five-hundred is… Number ninety-five! Lightning McQueen!"

"You did it, kid!" Doc grinned as the crowd erupted in wild cheers and applause.

Lightning nodded slowly, just as he collapsed onto his tyres. He closed his eyes and tried to get his breath back. His pit crew swarmed around him, to begin their post-race procedure on Lightning. One of them placed a long rubber tube inside Lightning mouth. Lightning gripped it tightly between his teeth as oxygen began to flow through it. He breathed it in deeply. He was so tired, he didn't even notice when a nurse took yet another fuel sample from him. All the sounds and commotion around him seemed to fade away and blend together. The only sound he could hear was the sound of his own oil pumping rapidly through him.

"How's he doing now?" Doc asked a few minutes later. His voice sounded like it was coming through a tunnel.

"His pulse and breathing rate are still elevated," a pitty replied.

"Let's get him moving. Come with me, Lightning."

With a weary groan, Lightning blinked open his eyes. Doc was standing beside him. A pitty removed the oxygen tube from Lightning's mouth.

"Ready to do your victory lap?" Doc asked.

Lightning groaned again. He tried to stand up straight on his tyres, but he was trembling too much, and he collapsed back down again.

"This is embarrassing!" he muttered.

Doc chuckled. "Been there, done that. Come on. You need to start moving again soon. You'll feel better if you do."

Still trembling badly, Lightning slowly followed Doc out onto the track. The crowd cheered and applauded as the two great racers drove side-by-side slowly around the track. By the time they returned to pit row, Lightning was feeling a lot better and much steadier on his wheels. And nothing could wipe off the grin plastered to his face. He'd won the first race of the season! Things could only improve for him from now on.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 34

Moving silently, Elinor softly closed the door to Lightning's hotel room. Breathing a small sigh of relief, she went into the lounge room, where Doc was quietly sipping on a can of oil.

"He fell asleep in an instant," she told Doc. "Sally insisted on staying with him. They make a cute couple."

"So do we," Doc said, smiling fondly at his fiancée. "Don't worry about Lightning. He'll be back to his usual, energetic self by morning."

"I don't doubt that. I'm just so glad he's safe. That crash really frightened me." Elinor nuzzled up against Doc's side. "I love you, Hudson."

"I love you too, Elinor. We should probably talk about our wedding. We still haven't arranged a date."

"I've always preferred June weddings."

"June it is then. And where would you like to have it?"

"Hmm… How about Radiator Springs? I know I haven't been there yet, but since that's your home, and Lighting's home now, why not?"

"It might help if you saw the town first. It's completely different to what you're used to."

Elinor just smiled as she nuzzled Doc's fender. "Why don't we go out for dinner? It looks like Sally's not planning to leave Lightning's side anytime soon."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Doc agreed.

When Lightning awoke the next morning, he was surprised to find Sally snuggled up beside him. Moaning happily, he kissed her cheek softly.

"I think I'm the luckiest car in the world," he whispered before drifting back off to sleep again.

Meanwhile, inside the lounge room, Elinor slipped Doc a can of warm oil.

"Thank you," Doc smiled. "Did you enjoy last night?"

"Very much. Did you see the kids when we came back last night?"

"Lightning and Sally? Yeah. They looked very comfortable, so I decided to leave them alone."

Elinor giggled. "Should we wake them now?"

Doc shook his hood. "We need to let Lightning sleep for as long as he needs. He'll recover faster."

About an hour later, Lightning and Sally emerged from the bedroom.

"I'm really, really sorry, Stickers!" Sally apologised, blushing profusely. "I didn't mean to fall asleep in your room!"

"It's okay, Sally!" Lightning laughed. "I enjoyed your company. Oh, boy! I'm so stiff!" And he stretched himself.

"Perhaps you should see the track physio," Doc suggested.

"Maybe," Lightning agreed.

"Come and have some breakfast, you two," Elinor invited. She glanced at the clock. "Actually, since it's ten-thirty, we'll make it brunch."

"How about an all-day breakfast?" Lightning teased.

"I see you've had a good night's sleep," Doc said. "Aside from the stiffness, are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah. Can you get me a big breakfast please, mum? I'm starving!"

"That's hardly a revelation, considering what you did to yourself yesterday."

Lightning rolled his eyes. Elinor passed two cans of fuel to Lightning, and one to Sally.

"We need to talk, Lightning," Elinor said before Lightning had even put the straw in his mouth.

"Urgh! I know what parents mean when they say that! All right. Hit me with the lecture, mum."

"It's not a lecture. I was just going to say, I want you to enrol in a college degree."

"What? Why?"

"To give you something to fall back onto, should you ever need it."

"But…I'm a racer, mum!"

"That's all the more reason why you should have something to fall back onto. Your career as a racer could be cut short at any moment! Look at what happened yesterday! Junior was taken to hospital, and one car is out for the whole season! Please, Lightning. I wouldn't ask you to do something unless I thought it was important."

"I agree with your mother on this one," Doc said. "You do need to have something to fall back onto, and you can easily pay for it now."

"True," Lightning said thoughtfully. "But won't it interfere with my racing?"

"You can do a course through correspondence," Doc explained. "They offer special scholarships for athletes like yourself. You can study between races instead of wasting your intelligent brain on video games."

Lightning almost choked on his breakfast. "'Intelligent brain'? Whatever happened to 'hotshot' and 'stupid'?"

Doc gave Lightning one of his cold, hard glares. "Do you want me to lock you in your room for the day?"

"You can't do that. I'm twenty years old."

"Just," Sally muttered under her breath.

"So what?" Doc continued. "You're not physically mature until you're twenty-five."

Lightning shrugged. "Your point?"

Doc pulled Lightning around to face him. "My point is that in less than four months' time, I'm going to be your step-father, and I already know how to punish you, so just watch your cheek, you understand?"

"Mum? Are you gonna let him treat me like this?"

"Until you grow up, yes," Elinor replied firmly.

"Oh."

"You can save your cheekiness for Mater," Doc growled as he released Lightning.

Lightning sighed as he composed himself. "So… Uh, what should I study at college then?"

"What are you interested in?" Sally asked.

"Err…racing… But I can't study that at college…can I?" he added, hopefully.

"You could study sports science," Doc suggested.

"I'll think about it," Lightning said seriously. "So…when are we going home?"

"New York or Radiator Springs?" Elinor asked.

"Radiator Springs, of course."

"Tomorrow," Doc replied. "You're under doctor's orders to rest today."

"Yours or Dr Spark's?"

"The track doctor's actually."

"Oh. Guess that makes it official then."

"Yes, it does," Doc said firmly.

"Do you mind if I go to the hospital to see how Junior's going?"

"I suppose it can't hurt. But take Sally with you!"

"Thanks, Doc!" Lightning said, waving a tyre dismissively as he headed for the door. "Come on, Sal!"

"Can't I even finish my breakfast, Stickers?"

"No!" And Lightning was gone. Sally shook her hood in disbelief.

"You'd better go with him, Sal," Elinor sighed. "Someone needs to stop him from doing something stupid!"

With a reluctant sigh, Sally followed after Lightning.

If there was one thing Lightning hated, it was the smell of hospitals. What made it worse today was having to battle through the enormous media pack that was camped out in front of the entrance. Sally wasn't used to the media, so she hung back a bit.

"Whatever you do, don't answer any of their questions," Lightning whispered to her as they approached the reporters. "I'll handle this."

"Hey, look! There's Lightning McQueen!" someone shouted. The cameras instantly turned to face Lightning, making him cringe.

"How are you feeling today, Lightning?"

"Much better, thank you," Lightning answered as he began to make his way through the crowd.

"Why did you collapse after the race? Are you unfit?"

"You try racing at two-hundred miles per hour for five hundred miles and then tell me how you feel after that!" Lightning shot back. "Now, let me through, please! No more questions!"

"Is it true that your crew chief is getting married?"

"Move!" Lightning shouted, and he revved his engine menacingly. Intimidated, the reporters cleared a path for him and Sally. They hurried inside the hospital.

"Wow!" Sally exclaimed.

"Welcome to my life," Lightning muttered. He went over to the front desk. "Dale Earnhardt Junior's room, please."

"Are you friends or family?" the receptionist asked without looking up from her computer.

"Do I look like family to you?" Lightning retorted, making the nurse look up.

"Oh. It's you. Uh, he's in room 241. You can go and see him. Apparently he's been asking for you."

"Really? Thanks."

Lightning headed over to the lifts. Sally followed him closely. A few minutes later, they arrived at Junior's room. Lightning knocked softly on the door.

"Junior?"

"Lightning! Come in!"

Lightning slowly entered the room. Junior was on a bed, hooked up to numerous machines. Lightning turned to face Sally.

"Please, wait outside."

Nodding, she headed towards a waiting room further down the hallway. Lightning stood in front of Junior.

"Sorry. Sally's just here to keep an eye on me. I'm under doctor's orders too."

"Really? I heard you won the race. You don't look injured, despite your scratched paint. What happened?"

"I collapsed from exhaustion after the race. I've been ordered to rest. Like that will ever happen!"

The two racers laughed for a moment.

"So, what about you? Your left side's pretty badly damaged."

"Yeah, I took most of the impact on that side. Luckily, I haven't sustained any brain injuries. Most of it's structural. I'm going to be having more surgery tonight to straighten out my chassis."

Lightning winced. He'd heard that chassis surgery was extremely painful. "Now I really feel sorry for you."

"I'll be all right. At least I'll be on painkillers."

"My right front fender was bent during the crash," Lightning said.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little bit. I'll have to get Ramone to beat it back into shape when I get home. I'm leaving tomorrow."

Junior pouted. "Too bad. I really enjoy your friendship. Is it true that Doc's engaged?"

"Yeah, it is. He's engaged to my mum."

"What?" Junior exclaimed, then he laughed. "So, Doc's not just gonna be your crew chief, coach and doctor – he's gonna be your step-father too!"

Now it was Lightning's turn to pout. Just then, a nurse entered the room. "That's enough now. Junior needs to rest."

"Guess I'd better go. Hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks. You too, Lightning. See you again soon!"

Lightning left the room, and after re-joining Sally, they headed back downstairs to the exit. And the media pack.


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 35

"So, this is Radiator Springs, is it?" Elinor asked as they entered the township early in the evening the following day. The neon lights lit up the town in a soft glow, as town's residents began to emerge from their various businesses to greet them.

"Yes, this is Radiator Springs," Doc answered, pulling up alongside Elinor. He was about to say something else, but he stopped when he saw Lightning and Sally heading towards the Cozy Cone together. Elinor followed his gaze.

"Hudson?"

"Yes, Elinor…"

"I think we should leave Lightning alone for a while."

"Why?"

"This is a huge adjustment for him. Plus… I know he's my baby, but seeing him with Sally just now, I suddenly realised that he's gone and grown up on me without me realising."

Doc frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah. I suppose you're right. Would you like to grab a drink at Flo's?"

"Of course. After hearing about how fantastic her drinks are, do you think I'd say no?"

Chuckling, Doc and Elinor went over to Flo's. A few minutes later, Lightning and Sally joined them. But before they could even get settled, a loud screech pierced the air.

"Something tells me that's Mater," Lightning chuckled.

Sure enough, Mater came racing into the town as fast as he could. "Lightnin'! Yer back!" he screamed joyfully. Spinning a doughnut, he parked beside Lightning. "Guess wha', buddy?"

"What, Mater?"

"I done saw da ghostlight out der last night! It was a chasin' Sherriff!"

Lightning scoffed. "It couldn't have been the ghostlight, Mater. You know it's only a story Sherriff made up to scare you."

"But… I darn saw a flash of blue! It was purtin' near chasin' him too!"

"It was probably just Sherriff's light," Sally said.

Mater sank down on his wheels as the realisation dawned on him. "Oh, dang!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Never mind, Mater," Lightning grinned. "It's good to be home. Life's never dull with you around."

Mater brightened a little. "It's good ta have ya back, buddy! How long 're ya stayin' fer?"

"Only a few days. Then I need to head down to Texas for my next race. Mack's going to drive me this time."

"Oh. Sure wish I could go wit ya!"

"Maybe one day, Mater. Hey, Doc? I've been wondering something. How was Jimmy able to keep up with me even after I hit two-hundred and ten?"

"I wondered that too," Doc replied. "So, I did a bit of investigating. Turns out he's had cosmetic surgery to make his body a bit more streamlined than yours. That's what gives him that edge when it comes to sling-shoting. His engine also has about twenty more horsepower than yours does."

"So, he doesn't have Jaguar Syndrome then?"

Doc shook his hood.

"Okay. Thanks. I just wondered."

"Don't worry, kid. Now that we've seen what he can do, we'll be more than ready for him next time. Now, it's time to talk about our wedding…"

"Wedding?" Flo exclaimed. "Who's getting married?"

"We are," Elinor smiled happily as she leaned up against Doc.

"Whoo-hoo!" Mater cheered. "Lightnin's gonna have a new daddy!"

"Mater!" Lightning groaned, but he couldn't help smiling as everyone moved in to congratulate Doc and Elinor.


	36. Chapter 36

**Well, here it is! The final chapter of my first FanFiction, Lightning's Secret. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'd really appreciate any feedback. **

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Pixar. All OCs belong to me. **

Chapter 36

**Four months later - June 2007**

"I'm so excited about this!" Elinor exclaimed as she, Doc, Lightning and Sally watched a British Airways Boeing 747 come in to land at the airport. "My father's never left England before in his life, so this'll be the very first time he's ever actually meet Lightning."

"What was his name again?" Doc asked.

"Charles. Charles Sanders."

"Got it."

"Are you nervous?" Sally asked Lightning.

"No. Why on earth would I be nervous?"

"Your wheels are shaking," Sally observed.

Lightning immediately stiffened. "No, they're not!"

Sally kissed his fender affectionately. A few minutes later, they saw an old 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione coming up the ramp.

"Daddy!" Elinor shouted happily as she drove over to him.

"Elinor!" the older car exclaimed as they embraced each other tightly. When they let go, Elinor turned to face everyone. "Daddy, this is my fiancé, Doc Hudson."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Charles smiled. "I realise you didn't exactly ask for permission to marry my daughter, but I think she's old enough to make up her own mind when it comes to love."

Doc blushed a little. Then Elinor turned towards Lightning.

"And this is your grandson, Lightning."

"Hey there, kid," Charles smiled, embracing Lightning as well. "How's the racing going?"

"Not bad," Lightning replied. "I'm fifteen points ahead of Jimmy at the moment, and Junior's catching up fast. But I'm not worried about them yet. There's still plenty more races left in the season."

"Hmm… You know I watch the Piston Cup via satellite. We don't get it on our mainstream channels. I've followed your career right from the start. You've really made a name for yourself, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so…"

"I don't know if your mother ever told you, but I used to race in twelve and twenty-four hour races in Britain when I was a lot younger. My brother preferred touring car racing though. He didn't have the stamina I had."

Lighting's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Mum, you never told me that!"

"For good reason," Elinor muttered.

"Hey! There's Lightning McQueen and the Hudson Hornet!" someone shouted nearby.

"Here we go again!" Sally sighed.

Lightning rolled his eyes, and he dialled a number into his phone. "Is that airport security? Yeah, I'm gonna need some help getting out of here, I think…"

"And here come Lightning's fans," Elinor sighed as a mob of cars surrounded them, begging for autographs.

**Two days later**

"Okay! Quiet everyone! Here! They come!" Sally exclaimed as she hurried down the aisle to her reserved spot.

It was Doc and Elinor's wedding day, and they were getting married at the lookout just in front of the Wheel Well Hotel. Doc was standing at the front next to the minister they'd managed to get to officiate the ceremony. Standing beside him was Lightning and Mater, whom he'd reluctantly chosen to be his best-man and groomsman respectively. Everyone turned to watch as Lightning's Aunt May and Aunt Susan drove slowly down the aisle as Elinor's bridesmaids. Then, Elinor herself appeared. Beside her was Charles, beaming proudly as he escorted his daughter down the aisle. Guido and Luigi began sobbing as the ceremony began.

Finally, the minister turned towards Lightning and Mater. "May I have the hubcaps, please?"

Mater tried to take the hubcaps out of his tray, but he clumsily knocked them off. To everyone's shock and disbelief, they went tumbling over the edge of the cliff and disappeared.

"Mater!" Elinor screamed, horrified.

Then, to everyone's complete astonishment, Mater and Lightning burst out laughing hysterically.

"Gotcha!" Lightning gasped, slamming his front right wheel down on the dirt. "Sherriff? Can you hand over the real hubcaps, please? I don't think I can now!"

Chuckling, Sherriff passed over the hubcaps he'd been hiding to the minister. He'd been in on the prank from the beginning.

Doc gulped, trying to keep his cool. "Lightning? Mater? Explain yourselves, please…"

"Well, since you refused to have a buck's party…" Lightning answered with a mischievous wink.

Growling, Doc rolled his eyes. "I won't forget this!"

Lightning and Mater exchanged sheepish grins. They knew Doc would get his revenge later, but for now, they'd just savour the moment.

**The End**


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